Thoughts for Life: #58 How to Increase Faith

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Spiritual vision is based on natural eyesight but goes above and beyond material things. Spiritual vision sees what your eye cannot see.

In a similar way, spiritual faith is based on natural faith but goes above and beyond it. (Google image)
Natural faith is present in every human being, in greater degree in some than in others. Life would be impossible without faith.

Buying and selling, the postal service, government in all its aspects, normal human relations with others, science, medical science, and even family life are dependent on faith.

Faith in God, in God's Word, and in God's hearing and answering prayer is dependent on spiritual faith.

All Christians have some spiritual faith, or they would not be saved. We are saved by faith, and pray in faith. In some, our faith is expressed more overtly, simply, or dramatically than in others. Faith can be increased as we grow in God's grace.

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5), it was in response to Jesus' instruction that if your brother sins against you he should be rebuked, and if he repents he should be forgiven.

Jesus added that even if the offender were so unstable as to repeat his sin against you seven times in the short space of one day and each time profess to repent, you should still forgive.

So when the disciples asked for increased faith, it was in relation to the salvation of a seemingly hopeless case.

But Jesus instantly expanded the application from faith for salvation to faith to cast a mulberry tree into the sea by using the command of faith. How can our faith be developed to that great degree?

(Be sure to check in on the next post from

Dr. Duewel's book to learn seven steps to greater faith, scheduled for the 4th of October).

Jean's blog (Click to see 7 recent posts.)

Our popular post today-

Put Feet to Our Prayers

Let's pray-

Father, as we already know, we need more faith to accomplish the mission You've made clear is ours.
Help our unbelief, when it comes to simply obeying Your Word, and what it says.
When things seem hopeless, or very different from what we had expected the answer to be, may we look to Jesus for His faith to rise within us.
We ask for your help today in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

(Is. 59:1 KJV) "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."

(Prov. 4:23 KJV) "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

(Ps. 73:28 NIV) "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."

Today's quote-

~ Ann-Margret Hovsepian- "God doesn't demand our own blood to pay for atonement but wants us to give our life in a different way—as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), offered up in service for His kingdom. The cross of Christ is more than the wood His body was nailed to 2,000 years ago. It's more than a symbol, on churches or jewelry, of what Jesus did for us. The cross we carry must be a consciousness of the debt we owe God and the willingness to live—or die—for Him." (Taken from IN TOUCH daily readings for devoted living March 2016, p.37).