When Faith Doesn’t Seem To Work?

Matt 21:21 - So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. (NKJ)

James 1:6-8 - But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (NKJ)

Matt 13:58 - Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. NKJV

Matt 17:20 - So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. NKJV

Mark 6:5-6 - Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. NKJV

Rom 4:19-20 - He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, NKJV

Rom 11:19-20 - You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. NKJV

Rom 11:23 - And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. NKJV

Heb 3:18-19 - And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. NKJV

7b. Our faith is being tested.

James 1:2-3 - My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing 1 of your faith produces steadfastness.

1 Peter 1:7 - so that the proof 1 of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested2 by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; NASU

1testing/proof: dokimion -- (NT:1383) the proving; that by which something is tried or proved, a test

2tested: dokimazo -- (NT:1381) to test, to examine, to prove, to scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals

steadfastness hupomone (5281)

1) steadfastness, constancy, endurance a) in the New Testament, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings b) patiently, and steadfastly

2) a patient, steadfast waiting for

3) a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Almost every scripture that deals with "trials" or "tests", or "temptations", is not good. For example, our faith is tested, Jesus was "tempted/tested" by the Devil, the Scribes and Pharisees were said to have "tested" Jesus, or our old nature "temps" us into sin. There is only one instance in Scriptures where it says that God tested a man’s faith.

Heb 11:17 - By faith Abraham, when he was tried 3, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, KJV

There are no other New Testament references that indicate that God tests us. So, who is it that tests our faith?

Matthew 4:3 - And when the tempter 3 came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

1 Thessalonians 3:5 - For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter 3 have tempted 3 you, and our labour be in vain.

Revelation 2:10 - Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried 3; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

James 1:14 - But every man is tempted 3, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

3 tested/temped: peirazo - (NT:3985) - to try, to make trial of, to test; for the purpose of ascertaining his quantity, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself

Will we lay claim to God’s promise with our title deed, or will we falter and be double minded?

Dan 10:11-14 - And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. "Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." (NKJ)

This calls for perseverance on the part of the believer. Note that James says in 1:2,3 that the "testing" of our faith produces perseverance.

James 4:2-4 - You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (NKJ)

PLEASURE

1. hedone ^2237^, "pleasure," is used of the gratification of the natural desire or sinful desires (akin to hedormai, "to be glad," and hedeos, "gladly"), <Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3; Jas. 4:1, 3 , RV, "pleasures" (KJV, "lusts") (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

This passage is not referring to asking in regards to those things which are needful to the body. The context is such that we are asking for things to gratify the sensual desires of our bodies.

7e. We have spoken curses on ourselves

Prov 6:2

You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. NKJV

The Hebrew word for "snare" is "yaqosh (yaw-koshe')" (Strong’s 3369). to lure, to entice, to snare, to lay a snare or lure, to set a trap

The Hebrew word for "taken" is, "lakad (law-kad')" (Strong’s 3920) to capture, to take, to seize

We can trap ourselves with the words we speak and give Satan the right to attack us. We are essentially placing a curse on ourselves that no one else has the authority to remove, no matter how much they pray or anoint us. Only we can repent, renounce and remove the curse.

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