A Heart of Faith

A vibrant relationship with the Spirit of God ignites the heart with faith, erases the concept of impossible and releases the possible into every situation. This is why it is most important to closely monitor the spiritual condition of the heart. The spiritual heart is a vital organ; the strength of its intentions controls our every thought and action. A spiritual heart becomes strong by dying to the desires of the flesh and self-centeredness. It takes on the attitude, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). It also accepts the way of Christ; “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42b). The Spirit of God closely examines the heart to see if it truly belongs to Him. He tests it (see Ps. 7:9). In 1 Samuel 16:7b we see the importance that God places on the condition of the heart:”For the Lord does not see as man sees;  for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It either compels or repels Him. Also, a heart of faith is what keeps the rest of the spiritual body alive and active for His glory.

A heart that compels the Spirit is one that has been broken by Him. Just as when a horse is broken in by its master, the wild will is broken into submission. Submission goes beyond mere obedience; it deals with our willingness to surrender to His will. Being broken by God is a matter of the heart. It’s a painful and yet very freeing process. I asked God to break me and refashion me. I took a clay pot into prayer once. I dropped it on the floor and it broke into pieces, then I asked Him to do that with me. Why? I had been a Christian for many years and was even a missionary. I had a good relationship with the Lord, but I was hungry for Him. I said in my heart, “Lord, I desire to have a deeper relationship with You.” He granted me my request. He broke me. But He did not leave me in pieces on the floor. In time, He picked up the pieces one by one and refashioned me so that I could be used by Him more effectively.

This heart of faith desires to be at the feet of Jesus. It longs to be in His presence and to minister to Him. As a little girl I learned how to sit at the feet of the Lord by my earthly father. I looked forward to the late afternoon when my dad would come home from a long day of work. He would sit down at the kitchen table and I would kneel at his feet and remove his boots. It was one of those moments that I looked forward to every day with great anticipation, and he knew it.

I looked up to my dad with respect. I trusted him to honor his word. I listened to him and I obeyed him. I would start at my father’s feet ministering to him, but  I would end up in my daddy’s lap with him ministering to me. This daily time spent with my earthly father prepared me to spend time with my heavenly Father.

I start with worship at the feet of my Lord, then end up in His lap while we fellowship with one another. I talk less and listen more to His loving words of encouragement and wisdom.

I encourage you to spend time alone with your heavenly Father every day.

*This excerpt is taken from Greater Than Magic, chapter 7, Senses of Faith, pages 91-93.

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© 2016 Author Becky Dvorak–Healing and Miracles International, All rights reserved.