Faith creates what God desires you to see

God is revealing to me the power of our words. It’s crazy. It’s life-changing. Words hold the power of life and death. What you say matters.

God understands the power of speech. In fact, the creation story shows us that God creates the universe by speaking it into existence. Let’s take a look at Genesis:
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“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Gen. 1:1-2 NLT).

But this is only the introduction. The words “Then God said…” are found repeatedly throughout the first chapter of Genesis (V. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29).

God creates something from absolutely nothing. How? Because He speaks by faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:1-3 KJV).

Faith creates something from nothing. And today, I wonder if you need to speak something that seems impossible into existence.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Isaiah, we’re not God. We can’t do that!” While it’s true we’re not God, the power of God lives inside of His children.

Paul writes, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you….” (Rom. 8:11 NLT).

The power of God lives within us, so God can work through us to accomplish miraculous things. But it takes faith.

This week, I’d like to share two different Bible stories with you: one involving Jesus and one after Jesus ascends to Heaven.

Jesus comes across a lame man lying on a porch by the pool of Bethsaida. The Bible says he has been sick for 38 years. Then, Jesus speaks to him, “‘Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!’ (John 5:1-8 NLT).

The next verse says the lame man is healed (V. 9). Jesus creates hope despite an impossible situation. How? Because He speaks by faith.

Peter does the same. Acts 3 reads, “Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’” (Acts 3:1-6 NLT).

The next verse says the lame man is healed (V. 7). Peter creates hope despite an impossible situation. How? Because He speaks by faith.

But there’s one last thing I want to mention about both of these stories.

Before being healed, both of the lame men were content with their condition. When Jesus asked if he desired to be healed, the first lame man said he couldn’t. After all, he had been lame for 38 years and someone always got to the “healing” water before him. Then, because Jesus spoke by faith, the man was healed without stepping into the water (John 5:1-9).

When Peter and John approached the second lame man, he wanted money, not healing. The Bible says he sat at the Beautiful Gate each day to beg for money. Then, the Bible describes him looking eagerly at Peter and John, expecting money. But instead, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter healed him. All because he spoke in the name of Jesus by faith (Acts 3:1-7).

Have you become content with something God wants to change? If so, I encourage you to begin speaking God’s power into your life. As Christian artist TobyMac says, “Speak life!” Faith creates what God desires you to see.