What is faith?
Is it believing what you want with all your heart, soul and mind? (For what some would call blind-faith)?
Or is there more to it? Is it both the substance of things hoped for, but based on
evidence that is unseen. Where does this evidence come from?
In my journey - I've come to rest on the understanding that faith isn't so much believing that God will do something that I want - but rather
trusting in him when I'm going through times I don't understand - because there is evidence that supports He is trustworthy, and has done this countless times before for others.
If I could paraphrase (and I know it's not perfect, but...) - it would be this:
Without trusting in God - and believing what He says is true before seeing it, and continuing to trust and hope in Him - even when things don't go the way we expect - keeping our hope in Him - it is impossible to please God,
...rather than...
Without believing with all your heart, soul and mind what you will to be it is impossible to please God.
To be fair - I have lived most of my life in Churches where I've heard preachers that preach all the time on faith, where I have seen the opposite happen numerous times to what they preach. I have heard prophecies that have failed. I have seen people claim healing, and even to the point where they have heard from God that people will be healed.... where people have died.
This has left me to question the faith ministries in a big way and review these scriptures.
I have also watched and heard these same faith preachers say at times "be careful what you ask God for" - because you might get something you might not like, yet they are all 'faith / healing / prosperity'.
If my earthy father who is wicked won't give me something wicked when I ask for something good - how much more my Heavenly Father? Why should I fear Him when I pray or ask for something?
I'm left wondering how can a preacher who professes to be a "faith preacher" - not trust that they can pray openly to God and that it will have the best outcome - and likewise warn people to be careful what they pray for from the pulpit?
Likewise I've heard them say "if it be Your will" is not praying in faith and we should never do it. But this is exactly how Jesus prayed. Did Jesus not have faith?
To me - this is the doubt, fear that will destroy us - not that we can't bring ourselves to believe that something will happen without question because we believe hard enough - but that we don't trust God.
His rod and His staff - which are used for guiding and correcting me - this comforts me - it doesn't make me afraid. I'm glad that He will pull me back, or strike me if needed to make sure that I stay in the way - on the narrow path. I even ask Him to do this, often! To me - this is the faith that I strive to grow in - in Him.
I don't have all the answers - but I am very concerned about the more modern interpretation of what faith means - especially the speaking of things into existence.
This may not be what is being discussed here - and I apologise if I've misunderstood (or babbled on). This is just one area I am very passionate about.
