Operational Faith

Operational faith is the process with which a Christian operates their life by the Word of God, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). As Christians, God has called us to live a life of faith… It does not mean that someone is reading the Bible every minute of the hour, or praying every second of the day. However, it does mean that the child of God has developed a routine of praying and reading scripture, on a regular basis. When Christians live by faith, they please God. The Hebrew writer stated “…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, when Christians demonstrate faith, they please God. Without it, they do not. Operational faith is the process by which a Christian allows scripture to direct their decisions and thereby direct their path. (Page 22) How do we discover God’s will for our lives? The Bible gives us various Scriptures as to what God’s will is, but to fully understand God’s will, we must first have a proper understanding of the word of God. In addition, we must develop a close relationship with God through prayer and “obedience driven” lifestyles. (Page 9) If you want to discover where in God’s vineyard he wants you to serve, you must study the Bible. As you grow spiritually in the Word of God, the Holy Spirit can then speak to you concerning what it is he wants you to do. When you seek to discover the will of God, it also means understanding that God wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants you to develop a love relationship with him. (page 10) God wants you to discover his will for your life. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). For the best place for us to be is in the will of God. No matter where you live, whether it is in a war-torn country like Syria, or relaxing on a peaceful beach in Honolulu, if we are in God’s will, we will be in God’s providence. (page 13) Every child of God must have fighting power. Having fighting power means that Christians have a spirit of wanting to defeat sin, Satan and self. We must not want to give in to temptation, or listen to Satan, as Eve listened to the serpent. We must follow what God has told us to do, rather than what we “feel” that we want to do. It is important that we realize that we can and will win the spiritual battle that we’re up against. James writes, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Fighting power is resisting power. (Page 43) When we walk by faith, it means we fight by faith. Remember Paul stated, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). We fight the enemies of faith by using the Word of God. We fight the enemy in the same way that Jesus fought Satan with Old Testament scripture (Matthew 4). Because of God’s grace, we have the entire Bible, all 66 books, to give us fighting power to defeat the enemy. Remember the best defense is a great offense. We must let the Holy Spirit lead us as he led Jesus. We must be vigilant in studying scripture. We must be consistent in praying even when we don’t feel like praying. We must be resilient in knowing that we have the victory. Remember Paul’s words “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). (Page 50) Discovering God’s will for your life should be your life long mission. As you learn how to discern God’s voice, the next step is to obey it. “Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only” (James 1:22). God has commanded us to not just hear his word, but more importantly do what it says. When God has given you a green light to go, you precede by operational faith. Operational faith takes you forward so that you can accomplish God’s will. As you operate by faith, at times you will encounter road blocks, storms and various temptations. Your faith will face enemies of faith, but don’t give up the fight. Fight with operational faith. (Page 67-68)