By Karen Lynn Tallman

What exactly is faith? I looked it up in a dictionary and it says loyalty. Faith or believing also means the things you've prayed for, that they are yours before you receive them.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What builds faith? Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

In the Old Testament people had to see to believe, ex: the burning bush. After the day of Pentecost you could be filled with the holy spirit and you could have the faith of Jesus Christ. This all came though Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:23-26
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

By the faith of Jesus Christ he set us free. And how are we able to have the faith that Jesus Christ gave us? It's like a battery you have to get plugged in and stay plugged into Gods power source, which would be the Word of God. Your faith or believing will determine which way you are going spiritually.

Mark 3:1-5
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Through Jesus God healed that man. To receive he had to believe that he could stretch out his hand. He had to act on it. Sometimes it can take days, months, or years, but that man's promise was to get healed that instant. Jesus didn't tell him to do something really hard . . . just something simple. God wants us to prosper.

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Your soul prospers first and your body follows. It goes from the inside out. I guess it gets so big it bursts and comes out to bless the rest of you. Your prospering brings glory to God. He wants all of his people to prosper.

1 John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

There is no darkness in Him at all, He does not want people to be sick or die. He wants all of us to prosper and be in health. My healing was a praise to God, not only physically but mentally. The adversary was trying to take everything away from me, especially my life. I held on to my faith and believing as hard as I could and never let go of it. God led me through my tough times and I believe with all my heart, that faith will determine your outcome.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

This is one of my favorites. We went over and over this at the Youth Advance. In the amplified it says "believe with no doubt, in all your ways give credit to God." I did not doubt God that he was going to heal me. God gets the praise that I was healed and everyone can see physically what God has done for me. True happiness is what helped heal me inside. God will always put the right people in your path at the right time.

Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

A merry heart heals the soul.

Hebrews 11:6-11
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

All of these people believed before they received. Sara believed that she would have a child. Before I was born my mother could not have children. Well, my mom and dad were at a Christian Convention and everyone there was drinking out of goblets and Mrs. Wierwille comes up to my mom and dad and says "these are for your children's children" referring to the gift of the goblets. God must have really worked through her. My mom had faith in that promise. She not only had one child, but she had two. When I was diagnosed with cancer and all of the doctors said I was going to die, we both held onto the promise that I would have children someday. When I had to make the decision to stay on chemo or not I thought about that promise that was made to me. I knew I was going to live. All that I could picture was my future family. That is the promise that I held onto the whole time. I had faith and I still do.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Everything I went through I gave God my all and He took care of the rest. He loves us so much, more than we could ever comprehend. This is the God I want to have in my life.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen