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Think of a man wishing for a car and he doesn't have the money. He hopes he might win a lottery or someone would give a gift. But then he hears a preacher saying, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mk.9:23). Now he tries to make himself believe that he is going to get a car. What he has is only a wish, and he is hoping that he can get a car by believing it will happen.

Making oneself believe that what he wishes for is going to happen is not faith! A superficial reading of the verse might give the impression that it is so simple. But we realise that the one who has true faith has that assurance that what he hopes for will happen (He.11:1). Can this man have that assurance, except that he imagines he does, based on a wrong understanding of the previous verse?

Sometimes people say, "I am praying for faith that I can be healed." They wish and hope for healing, but they are not sure. They could have prayed, "Lord, please heal me," which would have been doctrinally sound. But to think that what they need is more faith so that when they have enough, they will be able to get healed, is to (unconsciously in one's mind) transfer the power for healing from God to man's faith. We ask God for healing because we believe in Him, and without this faith we cannot be pleasing to Him. On the contrary, if we think that it is our faith that is going to achieve the healing, that would be totally wrong.

We must also differentiate between believing that God is able to heal us and thinking He will. Whether He will heal depends on His sovereign will which He exercises according to His wisdom, which, at the moment, we cannot always understand. So, when we know He has healed many in the Bible and even around us, we cannot guarantee He will do it for us. We pray, believing that He is able and also that He is good, compassionate, kind, merciful, etc., but not really having faith that assures us He will heal us. But then He reveals His will to some people that He is going to do what they ask for. Then they have the assurance of faith. Faith comes by hearing from God (Ro.10:17).

What a lot of confusion there is among Christians on this subject! People have heard words such as, "Your faith has made you well," and "According to your faith be it to you," and thought that it is their faith that has the power. Some people go on to assert their faith by declaring words with their mouth. What they are not able to see here is that, in effect, they are making themselves gods who can make things happen by their faith and words. This was not how Christians used to pray, till the new age teachings began to infiltrate the churches.

Once we recognise that the final authority, power and sovereignty are with God, we must stop trying to pump up our faith and try to accomplish what we wish for. We must submit to God, and pray to Him to grant us what we are asking for, if it pleases Him. Let us go back to, "Not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord."

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