5 in 7–Faith

Have you ever felt like you've missed your moment? Like the promises you once believed for have slipped through your fingers, and now it's just too late? Perhaps you've been waiting so long that disappointment has become more familiar than hope. If that's where you find yourself today, there's a message your heart needs to hear: There's still time.

God Hasn't Forgotten Your Desires

Mark 11:24 reminds us of something profound: "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Notice that word—desire. Not just "want," but desire. In the original Greek, this word means to ask for, to beg, to call for, to crave, to require. God cares deeply about the desires He's placed in your heart.

As we approach the end of another year, it's easy to evaluate what didn't happen. We look at the unfulfilled promises, the prayers that seem unanswered, and wonder if we made a wrong turn somewhere. But here's the truth: God is not a manipulator; He's a manufacturer. He doesn't dangle promises before you with no intention of delivering. He's better than any earthly company at bringing His products to completion.

Check Your Crowd

Abraham's story teaches us something crucial about receiving what we're believing for. When God told him to leave his family and go to a land He would show him, Abraham was a little slow to obey. He took his nephew Lot along—someone God never told him to bring. The result? Conflict. Strife between their herdsmen. Drama that shouldn't have been there.

Here's a principle worth remembering: If you've got a "Lot" in your life, there's going to be strife. Who is God telling you to move on from that you're still dragging along? Sometimes the wrong people aren't bad people—they're just people from a previous season who can't go where you're headed next. Their voices can drown out what God is saying to you.

You aren't hearing clearly because the wrong crowd is creating interference. Check your circle. Evaluate who has access to your ear and your heart.

The Power of Your Words

We are speaking spirits, created in the image of a God who spoke worlds into existence. In Genesis, God said "Let there be light," and darkness had to flee. He demonstrated ten times in the creation account that He is a speaking spirit with dominion power. Since we're made in His image and likeness, we should operate the same way.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. What are you speaking over yourself? Over your children? Over your circumstances? Are you declaring what God says, or are you agreeing with the enemy's lies?

The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. That word "fervent" means hot, boiling, zealous. Your prayers should be on fire with faith, not lukewarm with doubt. When you speak God's Word with authority, mountains must move, demons must flee, and circumstances must align.

Faith: The Substance That Changes Everything

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith isn't just a nice idea—it's a spiritual substance with real power. It activates God's ability to work in your life. Without faith, it's impossible to please God.

Think about every miracle in Scripture. Every time God moved, it was because somebody dared to believe. The woman with the issue of blood believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. The centurion believed Jesus could speak a word and his servant would be healed. Abraham believed God could give him a son even when it was physically impossible.

Faith activates a higher law—a law greater than the laws of nature, more powerful than the laws of physics. If gravity says it's impossible, faith says, "Watch my God do it." If statistics say it cannot happen, faith declares, "But God says He will."

Maintaining Your Shield

In the spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6, the shield of faith is crucial. Ancient Roman soldiers carried shields shaped like doors that completely covered them. These shields were made of leather, woven tightly and treated to be nearly as strong as steel. But here's the key: they required daily maintenance.

Every morning, a soldier would apply oil to his shield, rubbing it deep into the leather to keep it soft, flexible, and durable. Before battle, he would soak it in water so that when fiery arrows struck, they would be extinguished rather than setting the shield ablaze.

Your faith requires the same kind of maintenance. You can't neglect your relationship with God and expect your faith to protect you when the enemy attacks. Daily time in prayer and the Word keeps your shield strong. Soaking in God's presence prepares you for the battles ahead.

Five Keys to Walking in Victory

First, prioritize relationship over religion. Spend time with God not out of duty but out of desire. Let His Word soak into your spirit like water into that Roman shield. Increase your time with Him—wherever you are in your walk, go deeper.

Second, guard your gates. What are you allowing into your mind through your eyes and ears? Your thoughts give birth to actions. If thoughts come that don't align with God's Word, reject them immediately. Don't let corrupt communication come out of your mouth.

Third, walk in humility. Pride blinds you and makes you unteachable. When you think you know it all, you become vulnerable to deception. Stay humble and teachable.

Fourth, live holy. Separate yourself from influences and habits that pull you away from God. Whatever you feed grows; whatever you starve dies. Surround yourself with people who are genuinely pursuing God's presence.

Fifth, walk in your authority. Know who you are in Christ. The devil is already defeated—you just need to keep him under your feet. Put on your spiritual armor daily and stand firm.

The Journey Ahead

Faith gives you strength in the storm—not necessarily to remove the storm, but to give you peace in the middle of it. When everything around you is shaking, faith provides that bounce-back ability. It's what kept you going through the heartbreak, the betrayal, the diagnosis, the loss, the trauma.

God took the broken pieces and gave you purpose. He's not done with you yet. There's still time for the healing. There's still time for the restoration. There's still time for the breakthrough. There's still time for the promise.

Believe Him for it.

Speak to your mountain. Command it to move. Don't doubt in your heart. Forgive those who need forgiving so your prayers aren't hindered. Stand on God's promises and watch Him show up and show out when you trust Him with all your heart.

You are a whosoever, and you can have whatsoever you say. So what are you saying