How to Walk by Faith
Are you walking by faith, believing that God is with you, guiding your footsteps at every turn, and will be there to catch you when you stumble and fall? When you are overwhelmed by life’s circumstances and God seems far away, do you give up hope in Him? To walk by faith, means we rest in God’s sovereign power and control over our lives, with Him leading, guiding, and protecting us even when we can’t see or feel Him. But we know that He’s there with us. Just like air isn’t visible, but we know it’s always there providing oxygen for us to breathe, God is always present when we need Him, and even when we feel we don’t need Him. Walking by faith means we trust and believe in His everlasting presence and almighty power in our lives. While human nature dictates that we see to believe, God dictates that we have faith and believe.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4
In this post, I will discuss what it means to walk by faith, the power of faith, how to grow your faith to live by faith, and the just shall live by faith. When we realize the need to have faith in God to guide us through life and sustain us, it motivates us to seek to strengthen our faith in Him, so we can trust His presence is always with us. Faith in God is important if we are to depend on Him. The book of Hebrews states that, without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
For, we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
To walk by faith and not by sight means that we believe and have confidence in Jesus Christ and His power to faithfully lead and guide us through life without seeing Him. We are trusting in a being whom we have not seen but know exists based on Biblical accounts and other historical facts. More importantly, our own individual experiences with His power working in our lives. I, personally, can testify to His power in my life, having been delivered in 2018, from months-long depression, and suicidal ideations. I had given up on life completely and asked Him to take my life. Instead, He delivered me. That’s why I can walk by faith today.
Moreover, we do not cease to have faith because of never having seen God. We believe in air and have never seen it, but know it’s there giving us oxygen to breathe, keeping us alive. We have confidence in the air. However, we should have more confidence in Christ than in oxygen because He created it, controls it, and ignited power in it to work for us. Therefore, our faith should be in the Creator, not creation. We must believe, unequivocally, that He’s always there when we need Him. Even if we cannot see Him, we must walk by faith because He’s always walking alongside us.
The Power of Faith
Faith has the power to move mountains in your life if you apply it sincerely and believe in Christ and His power. God requires us to believe in order to receive any blessings or promises from Him. We cannot receive from that which we do not believe. The power of faith lies in believing that we will receive.
A notable example of believing and receiving is shown in the New Testament. It’s of the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of Jesus’ clothing and was instantly healed. She had faith in His power; she believed that if she just touched the hem of his clothing she would be healed. She came with a goal in mind, to manifest healing, just by touching Jesus. She probably knew that there would be a multitude of people surrounding Him and she wouldn’t get a chance to ask Him for healing. She felt that if she could just push her way through the crowd and get close enough to touch Him, she would be healed. All this is based on her faith. God knew this woman and her situation, and how much she needed healing.
Remember, God knows everything about us, even before we go to Him in prayer. He also knew her heart and level of faith in Jesus. He guided her through the crowd and made it possible for her to get close enough just to touch the hem of Jesus’ clothing. That’s all it took, a little touch. Her touch was a different type of touch, a touch of faith, for healing. That’s why He felt power go out of Him. Unlike the touches from others pushing and pressing against Him. Hers was a spiritual connection with Christ.
“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which has spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any. Came behind Him and touched the border of His garment and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, who touched me?…Somebody hath touched me for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And He said unto her, daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Luke 8:43-46:48
Now, this is the power of faith in action. This is the level of faith in Jesus Christians should have today. Although Jesus isn’t here with us physically, He is always with us spiritually. We just need to touch Him with faith. He is the same Jesus that healed that woman through touch, by her faith. She walked by faith that day to where Jesus taught, ignited her faith, and received her healing. This story should inspire us to have faith in God for miracles in our lives.
Further, non-believers practice manifestations by visualizing, journaling, and meditation to accomplish their goals and manifest their dreams. They plant seeds, nourish them, and believe that they will come to fruition – and they do. How much more will God do for us, as Christians, who serve Him faithfully and righteously? King David said He never saw the righteous forsaken. We must believe that He will never forsake us but prove faithful to His promises to us and bless us with our desires. But we too, must plant seeds, nourish them, and believe. As the Word states, faith without works is dead. The more you practice putting your faith into action and receive blessings, the stronger your faith becomes. This is the manifested power of faith in Christ Jesus.
It is obvious that these unbelievers don’t necessarily put faith in God to realize their dreams, but they still achieve their goals and desires. You might ask how is this possible. The Word says that “the rain falls on the just and the unjust.” So, because they are doing everything right and putting their faith into action, they receive blessings. But they reach out to the universe to fulfill their desires. God is the creator of this universe, the universe did not create itself, nor does it control itself, much less has the power to fulfill needs and desires. But because these “manifesters” have the right attitude toward faith, their faith reaches to God, and He responds. Whether they don’t want to admit it. The only sovereign God, Jesus Christ, has the power and control over the universe and can bless your faith.
“For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:45
Grow Your Faith to Live by Faith
“But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22
As we grow our faith, we live by faith. Living a life of surrender to Christ daily will increase your faith in Him. Maintaining a prayer life and studying the Bible to learn more and grow in Him, will also increase your faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word, and by hearing the Word, we must be doers of the Word, putting it into action. Specifically, we must emulate Christ, by expressing brotherly love to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Forgiving and forbearing them. Be there for them in their times of need. Uplifting and encouraging them in Christ to keep pressing on; not judging them when they falter.
Moreover, sometimes we struggle with our faith in God because we cannot seem to obtain a breakthrough in life amidst life’s challenges. These challenges overwhelm us and keep us distracted from focusing on and cultivating our relationship with God. But it’s imperative to keep trusting in Christ for your breakthrough. If you lack faith and have trouble increasing your faith, just ask Him in prayer to increase your faith. Even the apostles needed help and asked Jesus to increase their faith.
“And the apostles said unto the Lord, increase our faith.”
Luke 17:5
Consequently, when we do all these things, we strengthen our faith in God, and it becomes easier for us to live by faith. Knowing we are controlled by the One who gives the gift of faith and has the power to effect change in our lives. Acquiring more faith enables us to seek God with confidence and trust. Believing that whatever we ask for in prayer, according to His will, will be granted to us by our measure of faith.
“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Mark 11:23
The Just Shall Live by His Faith
“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:4
According to the Prophet Habakkuk, “the just shall live by his faith.” Faith in God drives us and keeps us on a path of righteousness. The just takes on God’s attributes of fairness and justice, promoting righteousness. When you are right with the Lord, you live under the power and control of the Holy Spirit, and your heart is aligned with His. Your spirit connects with His Holy Spirit. You have a oneness with Him and see Him working in your life and hear Him speaking to and through you. These things are only possible when you are just and righteous. And because you are just, you live by faith because you put your trust in God to lead and guide you through life. Likewise, the just live by faith because their faith lies in the manifested power of Christ. Not in their own understanding and wisdom but in God’s wisdom and power.
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:5
To that end, we must walk by faith daily, trusting and believing that God is with us leading and guiding us through life. To walk by faith, we grow our faith, by praying and reading the Word and keeping ourselves in alignment with the Word. Also, by emulating Christ, showing brotherly love to our brothers and sisters in Christ, helping them in their times of need, forgiving and forbearing them. We must realize the power of faith by putting our faith into action by planting seeds, nourishing them, and trusting God to make them come to fruition. Finally, the Word says that the just will live by faith. We become just when we take on God’s attributes of fairness and justice, promoting righteousness.