The Faith Factor
"According to your faith will it be done to you; …"
Matthew 9:29 (NIV)
What are you expecting God to do in your life? Most of us begin with making plans and then setting goals to accomplish those plans. It’s conventional wisdom. But I want to challenge you to think unconventionally. Instead of starting with your plans of what you want to achieve, begin with your expectations. What are you expecting God to do in and through your life? This is what I call “the faith factor.” It causes us to look beyond what we can do, or more often, what we think we can’t do, and focus on what only God can do. Then when God comes through, even your critics will have to give God the credit. Everyone will know it must have been God! Think of the glory and honor He would receive if the only explanation for what is happening in your life was God.
The truth is we get out of life about what we expect. Jesus said we get to determine what we want God to do in our lives in this regard. In Matthew 9, Jesus encounters two blind men who are calling out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord.” Then Matthew tells us that Jesus touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Matthew 9:29 (NIV)
So what about you? Will you dare to risk expecting great things from God in and through your life that will bring Him glory?! It’s so easy to retreat into a mindset of what we can’t do. Great expectations come from putting your faith in what God can do. The great missionary William Carey put it like this: “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” It’s not a matter of how big your faith is. It’s a matter of how big the object of your faith is. A little bit of faith in a great big God can move mountains! It’s never about faith in faith. It’s all about faith in God.
Faith is expecting God to come through and do great things in your life. Pray that God will break through the mental barriers in your life that have prevented you from expecting great things. Keep those expectations before God in prayer and let Him show Himself mighty in your life! Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) is my prayer for you. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.