| THEME: | UNDERSTANDING FAITH |
| LESSON: | Eight |
| TEXT: | Numbers 13:25-33, Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:23-25 |
MEMORY TRACK
In our last lesson, we learnt that the circle of faith is not complete until we give verbal declarations to what we believe in our hearts. To believe is of the heart and confession is made UNTO healing, financial breakthrough, success etc. In today’s lesson which is the last lesson for this series, we shall be looking at hinderances to faith.
SOME MAJOR HINDERANCES TO FAITH
- Lack of understanding of our place in Christ and His promises to us as His children (Ps 82:5-7, Hosea 4:7): Many believers are ignorant about their place in Christ and His redemptive work. Lack of understanding of the things God provided for us in the New Testament makes us go through untold hardship, suffering from evil spirit and circumstances of life. As we look into the New Testament letters written to the Churches, we will learn and understand things that has been freely given to us.
- Lack of God’s word (Rom 10:8-10, Deut 8:3): Our faith is not just faith in anything. Our faith is based and rooted in the Word of God. Our faith grows as we are rooted in the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. So, without hearing the word there is no faith.
- Wrong thinking that leads to wrong confession (2Cor.10:1-4, Numbers 13:23-35): What we believe is a result of our thinking. If we think wrong, we will believe wrong. If our believing is wrong, our confession will be wrong and what we say will be wrong. It all hinges on our thinking! But the Word of God has been given to us to straighten out our thinking! (Rev’d Kenneth E Hagin). Read the scriptures, memorize and meditate on it to get your mind straightened against wrong thoughts.
- Unforgiveness (Matthew 18:35, Mark 11:25-26): The greatest hinderance to answered prayers is unforgiveness. Many do not receive answers to their prayers, neither do they receive what they believe in their heart and confess with their mouths because they are not forgiving others their trespasses. Not forgiving your brother is like putting him in prison and locking him up. Jesus said that is what God will do to everyone that doesn’t forgive his brother.
- Disobedience to the prompting of the spirit: Many a time, we miss the Lord because what the Lord leads us to do seems foolish or impossible, and we disobey and lose the blessings attached to such prompting.
Lack of Wisdom Proverbs 4:7
A. Lack of wisdom concerning your finance (Gen 8:22, Luke 6:39, Phil. 4:17-22): We should understand that the principle of sowing and reaping is a key to financial prosperity. Many believers do not have grace upon their finance despite having faith in their heart and confessions in their mouths. This might be for the following reasons among many others:
- Not paying one’s tithes, offerings and other windows of blessing e.g., ministering to Pastors, the brethren, sowing towards major meeting etc.
- Not walking within grace allocation (Romans 12:6)
B. Lack of wisdom concerning your health
– Living to eat and unto pleasure (Lev. 11, 1Cor 6:13): There are different reasons why sicknesses and diseases find their ways into the human body. Some are spiritual while some are as a result of foreign organisms in the body or wear and tear of the body. Alot of believers eat anything thereby abusing the body with junks and unhealthy food which can lead to breakdown of the body. This is wisdom around to fetch in order to eat healthy and live happy
– Lack of Rest
QUESTION: What is your take about medical science? Gen 1:29 Deut. 20:19
We believe the knowledge of medicine is from God. The knowledge of food and nutrition is also from God. The knowledge of leaves, vegetable and herbs is from God. Taking any of these does not mean lack of faith. Taking supplements to augment what is lacking in the body is not lack of faith. Taking medicine is not lack of faith we must make sure we create a good balance between faith and what God provided in the natural for our wellbeing.