“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” Mark 5:34

When I look at verses like these, I say to myself, “But how? How do I get more faith? How do I have enough faith?” Should I be reading my Bible more? Praying more? Listening to and singing more praise music?

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks like this. We all want mountain-moving, disease-healing faith, don’t we? I know I do. Granted, I’ve never felt an intense desire to move an actual mountain but I do have some mountain-sized issues I would like moved, and there are some diseases I’d like to see healed.

So, how do we increase our faith? I recently read a book, Think Differently, Lead Differently, by Bob Hamp, that made me look at this issue in a new way. (I guess that’s where the “think differently” part comes into play.) There were so many nuggets of wisdom in this book, and when I put it all together in my mind this was my takeaway: having a stronger faith isn’t about praying the right prayer or reading your Bible for a prescribed length of time each day. It’s not about anything you do other than sitting in God’s presence. Talk to him, listen to him, and allow him to guide you.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the author of our faith. “. . . looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” If Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith” then HE is the one who increases our faith. He’s the one who gave us the faith to believe in the first place.

Bob Hamp puts it this way, “Again, it comes to this question: does the true gospel place the weight of bearing fruit and bringing about change on us – or on God? The core message of this book answers this question. Our connection to God naturally and spontaneously produces fruit apart from our own efforts or strivings.”

It’s very freeing, isn’t it, to rest in God’s presence instead of striving to do more? Please note: I am not saying you shouldn’t read your Bible, pray or sing praise to the Lord. What I am saying is to spend time seeking God. More than anything, he wants to connect with you, his beloved child.

Personally, I’m praying for more faith. I’m praying for a faith that moves mountains and believes for miraculous healings. I think that is a prayer God loves to answer.  God is always at work in us – in me – to draw us closer to him. I will never “know it all” while I dwell on this earth but I will always know the One who does, and that is enough.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

Nancy Holte

Nancy loves to laugh and considers laughter a critical part of human survival. If you were to ask, most days she would say her glass is half full but when it starts reaching the half-empty level, she reaches for a funny book or movie knowing that indeed “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Nancy has three married sons and five grandchildren. To read more from Nancy find her at www.nancyholte.com.

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