What is faith? How do we have it?

[Kramgen]

How do we have faith in something? The prophet Elijah had so much faith in God on Mt. Carmel (calling down heavenly fire) but how do we have faith like that if we don’t know what his will is? I.e. God, please end Coronavirus, but we don’t know if it is ultimately good for us.

 

[christismylord]

how do we have faith like that if we don’t know what his will is?

We must pray like Jesus, “Your will be done” (He prayed this both in the Our Father prayer and also during His agony in the garden.)

Our faith is that Jesus is our God and Savior and He is perfectly righteous in all His ways and actions. Our faith is not dependent on what God’s Will is, because we know for certain that His Will is always perfect, whatever it may be.

We can certainly pray for our intentions and praying for the end of Coronavirus is one of our wishes. Through it all we know that He loves us and through life or death we are safe with Him because nothing can separate His people from His love.

Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It is not our job to worry, only to trust Him and present our requests “by prayer…with thanksgiving.”

 

[po18guy]

The best, most concise definition of faith ever written.

What is faith? It is that which gives substance to our hopes, which convinces us of things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 Knox Translation

 

[Kramgen]

we know for certain that His Will is always perfect, whatever it may be.

I know, but my will is not, so how do I have such a certainty with something if I can’t even trust that what I want is in line with him. Like: “I want Corona to end”, but maybe in His Will its good for humanity, how do I have faith that my prayer will be answered in this specific way and not a general “whatever happens, His Will will be done?” So how did Elijah have faith that the fire would come down when maybe it was Gods will that it didn’t and he learned not to test him or it was his will that the people didn’t see a miracle?

 

[christismylord]

how do I have faith that my prayer will be answered in this specific way and not a general “whatever happens, His Will will be done?

You can’t be certain it will be that exact way, unless you are positive your prayer is the exact Will of God. Believe what you pray for you have already received. Because (Mark 11:24) says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.“

See, even here, our part is to believe, our faith is crucial in life and in prayer. Now God can do whatever He wants. We must want His Will over ours, if they differ.

But it is not about our prayers being answered how we want. If humans got all we wanted, the world would be utter disaster. I understand your will for Covid-19 to end may be a seemingly good thing, but God alone is good (Mark 10:18) and all He does is better than anything that contrasts with His Will. If you ask His Will be done, and if His Will is done, then the best possible thing will be done. And is that not what we want? We certainly would rather the actual best thing be done than what we think is best. And no one can fathom the mind of God (Romans 11:24) but He gives us the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8) to trust Him through everything.

As for Elijah: We do not know every detail. Maybe He felt the Holy Spirit tell him to do what he did. Maybe God told him He would do it. Most probably, Elijah knew that if God did not send the fire, it would weaken the people’s faith in Him and endanger them. It is a great example of faith. It is not our job to worry about what God will do. We must simply set up every opportunity for Him to shine and glorify Himself through us and opportunities created. God used Elijah created an opportunity for His might and power to be made known. God may want to test the faith of His people with Covid-19, or He may want to bring home some of His people to Heaven, or He may want to bring people’s hearts together as we fight this together, or He may want to send society a wake-up call, or this may be the start of the end times. We could not possibly know at the moment, our job is to trust God.

Also, the gift of faith is one of the gifts of the Spirit. And the Spirit distributed different gifts to different individuals, according to the Will of God. So though all believers have faith, some may be granted more than others. With what we have, we must kindle and protect and never lose hope.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11
“To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledgeby means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

And Elijah lived before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, but God could still fill certain people with the Holy Spirit at certain times.

 

[Bluebright]

Everything God does is good for us, always as God is good. Any evil God allows will be for our own good too. Anything that happens in the world happens because of Gods will, either permissive or direct will. That is He wills it or he allows it to happen. So good comes out if everything. How and when is not always ours to understand. Once you understand and/or accept those things life is a lot easier. But for faith, simply learn to accept this ‘God is good always’ without doubt. Then you will move closer to the faith you seek. Of course you must ask God to increase your faith and make acts of faith in order for it to increase. A bit like a toddler learning to walk, he’ll never learn if he doesn’t take a step without holding on even if it’s scary. Let go and trust in God and so have faith and it grows.

 

[Vico]

How do we have faith in something? The prophet Elijah had so much faith in God on Mt. Carmel (calling down heavenly fire) but how do we have faith like that if we don’t know what his will is? I.e. God, please end Coronavirus, but we don’t know if it is ultimately good for us.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1815 The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it. 80 But “faith apart from works is dead”: 81 when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body.

80 Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1545.
81 Jas 2:26.

 

[Kramgen]

Thanks for the help. It makes sense now.

 

[TominAdelaide]

Whenever we see suffering in the world, it is always permissible to ask God to bring it to an end. This leaves God with a few options:

• not answering our prayer (for our ultimate good)
• delay answering our prayer, but answering it in due time
• not answering our prayer, but giving us something different
• not answering our prayer, but giving us something not quite as good as what we had asked for
• not answering our prayer, but giving us something better than what we had asked for

How did Elijah have faith to call down fire from Heaven? Perhaps God told Him in a vision earlier in the day that He wanted him to call down fire from Heaven. And how to have faith live Elijah, ask God to increase our faith, as the Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches:

Should we, then, at any time waver, not being sufficiently strong in faith, let us say with the Apostles: Lord, increase our faith (Luke 17:5); and, with the father (of the demoniac): Help my unbelief . (Mark 9:23)

 

[fhansen]

God’s will is primarily that we enter a communion or relationship with Him, as this is the right order of things for man and the only thing that will bring us ultimate peace and happiness. Adam, as the story goes, apparently thought otherwise. And unless and until we each arrive at that point, there can be no lasting peace between us incidentally. In order for this change in our outlook to occur, we must believe that there is purpose and meaning to our existence, and that this existence is not a momentary, futile event but an eternal one where continuous incomparable joy and happiness are in store. IOW, there must be goodness behind and underlying it all despite the often chaotic and evil world that we live in, and despite the physical death that we’ll all endure.

The entire mission of Jesus was this, to reveal the true God and His providential will for humankind, of His enormous love. So that we may come to know Him, and in so doing believe in and trust Him. That’s faith-and then even if the virus were to have its way we can still say, along with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Or to expand further yet on this, “Though He slay me, yet will I love Him.”

And God gives us the grace to believe this way, even as He asks for our response to that gift, a response that may emerge weakly at first, but then grows more solid and resolute as we continue to walk with Him and do His will. The gift blossoms as the relationship is tested and exercised and strengthened.

 

[libbeylu]

My favorite definition of Faith is…being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…

How do I have it? I hope the virus will end, I hope the sun will come up tomorrow, I hope I will complete my work in my flower bed, I hope Chloe will be with us for many years…I am certain there is a God for I feel his presence around me, I am certain He loves me cause I survived a natural disaster involving a 25 foot surge of water surrounding me, He lays out a path for me, and I know he is guiding me in the right direction in my life regardless of the circumstances.