Faith is a basic and essential element in the life of a believing Christian. Faith is activated by prayer and study of God’s holy word.  It is very appropriate to pray to God for wisdom to understand his word and to discern good from evil.  It is through prayer and study that God reveals His will and opens up the anointing of His holy spirit.  Praying together with other Christians is appropriate when all are asking for wisdom and for God’s will to be done.

It is God who anoints and God who delivers.  Be assured that if you study and pray faithfully, God will reveal His will and His way to you.

We are reminded of God's dealings with Abraham and how his experiences were used to increase Abraham's faith.  Abraham's faith was increased progressively by obeying God each step of the way.  First, by leaving his homeland, then by leaving his father's house and his kindred. (Genesis 12;1)  Then He was given a child by Sarah by a miracle of God, in their old age.  Then God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable, sacrifice his only son.  If God had given Abraham and Sarah a son while they were young and then asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham's faith in God may not have been strong enough to carry out God's plan. (Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son).  

God leads us, as He did Abraham, step by step, in order to increase our faith and trust in HIM.  As our faith grows, the tests become more difficult but the blessings increase.

Special church anointings and deliverance sessions are often very emotional and the excitement can be confused with feeling spiritual.   But “…God is not the author of disorder (tumult), but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Cor. 14:33) “The peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart.” (Phil 4:7)

When we read the New Testament, there are no accounts of elders stirring-up feelings and creating frenzied services. Even when our Lord Jesus served the multitudes, He preached; He healed; He prayed. But He never whipped up the crowds’ emotions in order to worship God.

After Jesus’ resurrection, when He walked with His disciples on the road to Emmaus, He quietly reasoned with the two followers. Our Lord explained the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah in order to strengthen their faith.

Why didn’t Jesus shine like the sun or fly through the sky to prove His resurrection to the apostles? He could have done great and fearful things to activate their faith. But this would not have been the best way to help them. As God teaches in Romans 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

To recap: God grows our faith step by step when we study His word and daily obey these lessons in our lives. Services in the early church included singing, studying, praying and preaching, but not emotional frenzy. God is a god of peace.