How Do You Confront Doubt and Unbelief?
Juli, Thank you for your faithfulness to grow and share Gods word.
Question: how do you confront doubt and unbelief when your 5 senses attempt to convince you Gods word isn't working...without getting into works righteousness? Or when it feels like I have to keep saying scriptures, feeling like I have to make enough "deposits" in my heavenly account before God will answer me.
I keep wanting to see everything as a finished work because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Each time I see myself going down this path I say aloud there's no condemnation because I'm in Christ Jesus & say a promise from Gods word about whatever situation I'm facing & thank Jesus for the finished work.
I really want a right Godly balance where I believe I receive when I pray and remain in thanksgiving while it manifests in the natural.
Thank you kindly,
Kasmin
Hello Kasmin,
Great question, sometimes it does seem like the things we are believing for and praying about go unanswered but there are some simple and amazing truths to hold onto during this process...
First, Hebrews says faith is a substance ( Hebrews 11:1 ). The Amplified Bibles says that faith is the title deed, being the proof of what we do not see but know exists. If you take a look at what the Bible says about faith over and over, you will see that it is made up of two parts; believing (being fully convinced) and saying it ( Mark 11:23 ). It looks like you understand this. I think what you are doing is great... when situations rise up you combat it with scripture and remind of yourself of your place of victory in Jesus. Plus Romans says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God ( Romans 10:17 ). So as you continue to say these things then your faith is being built up because you are hearing it also.
Secondly, rejoicing in the midst of this process is key. We rejoice because we can consider it done long before we see it in the physical realm. God is the God who calls things that are not as though they were ( Romans 4:17 ). So as believers we can see the reality of these things through the eyes of faith LONG before they exist in the physical realm. This is an amazing truth! Looks like you understand this also.
So the next thing is to stand firm. There is a time element to these things. If you are standing on a promise from God, then consider it DONE and REST knowing that it will manifest at some point... no matter when that is. This is by far the hardest thing because it is so easy to get discouraged in the process because sometimes it takes so long that it appears it will never happen. Which is why it is so important that we are fully convinced of the promise because the circumstances will lie to us. Take encouragement from the scriptures... Abraham waited another 25 years before he saw the down payment of His promise in Isaac. Plus there is a whole list of individuals in Hebrews 11 that died in faith never seeing the promise fulfilled; they only saw through the eyes of faith and welcomed fulfillment from a distance (Hebrews 11:13) so that we as New Testament believers would receive the blessing of their faith! That is incredible Remind yourself as you wait of all of those faith pioneers to encourage you in the process. Do not give up!
Lastly, faith is not trying to get God to do something; faith is believing that He already did something. Remember, faith takes practice. So start exercising your faith on small things which will prove his faithfulness so when the big things come a long you will know how to trust him.
Hope this helps and adds some clarity!
Thanks, Juli
P.S. I've been watching an awesome teaching by Greg Fritz called Faith Speaks; the audio is available for purchase on his website: gregfritz.org/products.htm or you can find it online at Charis Bible College; http://www.charisbiblecollege.org/watch-charis-live, I think you would enjoy it, he talks a lot about this very things.