Faith-in-action is the best means of obtaining God’s benefits. People who have expressed their faith in God ought not to limit their efforts into serving God only, they ought to also aspire to receive some significant benefits from the Lord as well. Christians ought to make their faith applicable to their personal situations to experience God’s miracles.
Children of God must take practical steps into bringing their expected miracles into reality. To better understand this fact, let’s use the situations of a Greek woman notable as a Syrophoenician woman in the Bible as a case study. The woman took the bull by its horn to achieve her expected victory.
The Syrophoenician woman had a daughter who was tormented by the evil spirits; she brought her situation to Jesus, and the Messiah turned down her request. However, she refused to be discouraged. She was persistent with her request until Jesus healed her daughter.
The result of the Syrophoenician effort paid off, but the process of obtaining her expected help from Jesus was not so easy. Anyone could have easily given up when the Master refused to honor his or her request, but Syrophoenician woman was different.
Jesus said “No” to the Syrophoenician woman, but she insisted that he must say “Yes.” The Syrophoenician pestered Jesus with her persistent request until Jesus reversed his decision and said “Yes” also.
Perhaps I can imagine what someone would be thinking right now. Maybe you are questioning yourself, “how come Jesus- the good Master rejected the poor woman’s request to heal her daughter?” Well, of course, Jesus was indeed a caring Son of God – A great deliverer and a perfect healer for that matter! Jesus turned down the request of the Syrophoenician woman to test her faith. Christ wanted the woman to prove her faith as a true believer. The woman passed the test!
The Syrophoenician woman proved her worth as a true believer in Jesus Christ. Her persistence proved that she knew what she believed. She was confident that Jesus had the capacity to solve her problem, so she refused to turn somewhere else. The behavior of the Syrophoenician woman could be perceived as if she won’t let Jesus proceed on his journey until he had done something concerning the spiritual health of her daughter.
Someone could literarily hear the Syrophoenician woman saying, “Master I won’t let you move an inch until you have delivered my daughter.”
The persistent attitude of the Syrophoenician woman changed the dynamics of her daughter’s situation. Jesus responded with a positive affirmation and delivered the woman’s daughter from the power of darkness.
History credited the Syrophoenician woman for her steadfast faith. Read the brief Bible’s account of the Syrophoenician lady and Jesus Christ:
“From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. (Mark 7:24-30 NKJV).
Persistent faith will bring you benefits!
Learn some Important Lessons of Faith from the Syrophoenician Woman
- Syrophoenician woman heard about Jesus’ unbeatable power to do all things and believed.
- She did not keep her faith to herself but she walked up to Jesus to ask for his help.
- Syrophoenician woman was a humble person who would not take any offense from Jesus’ rejection of her request. (The woman’s attitude did not change towards Jesus even though he turned down her request).
- Syrophoenician woman was persistent with her request that Jesus must heal her daughter even when it appeared that her effort was fruitless.
- Syrophoenician lady understood her right as a true believer in Jesus Christ deserving his undeniable miracles.
Any Christian who shares the attributes of the Syrophoenician woman listed above will receive an undeniable miracle from God. Trust God and wait for his salvation.
Faith and Action go side by side. Learn the benefits of faith-in-action
Clear Facts about Faith, Action, and Benefits
- The God of the Bible is still alive to benefit whoever will reserve an absolute trust in him.
- Christians ought to maximally explore their opportunities in God. Believers must believe in the power of Jesus Christ as the main solution to their problems. In fact, any devoted Christian ought to understand that nothing goes beyond the reach of the power of Jesus Christ.
- Christians must not pocket the faith they have in Jesus Christ. They must act on their faith to turn every necessary table to their advantage. Every Christian ought to be able to make an affirmative statement that he or she has the entitlement to have victory in any situation that confronts him or her.
- Bible has stated it clearly that Jesus Christ has the power to control all situations. It is written, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV).
- Christians must profess their faith in God’s power to meet their needs. They must demonstrate the courage to profess their expectations over their situations.
- If a Christian could not consider himself or herself as the bonafide child of God deserving his miracles who else would do? Every child of God has undeniable right to receiving God’s miracles which are not limited to healing, deliverance, peace, and prosperity. You ask why? Jesus Christ-the Son God has purchased Christians (the believers) with his precious blood. In other words, Christians are the blood-relative of God; they deserve to receive his unfiltered benefits.
- Christians must not be arrogant with their faith but be submissive. Believers must make their petitions to God with full respect to receive their expected miracles.
- The fact that Christians have the entitlement to receive God’s benefits does not mean they should approach him with arrogance.
- God is the Giver; you are the receivers, therefore you have to put up some nice attitude in the presence of God to befit his blessings! Remember, God can give anything at will and he can take it away at will. So, stay humble before God as you present your petitions to him.
- A delay is not a denial. Christians must consistently pray until their prayers are answered. No believer should mistake his or her persistent prayers as “vain repetitions.”
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- Persistent Prayers show your dependence on God. It proves that you trust that God has the power to solve your problems – Meaning the more a Christian prays (in the name of Jesus Christ), the more his faith will arouse, and the likelihood of him receiving the expected answer sooner. Christ said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).
How Can A Christian Put His of Her Faith To Action?
Learn from the Syrophoenician woman in the Bible:
- She had a need; she walked up to Jesus, and she made a persistent request about her need until Jesus favored her.
- Syrophoenician woman refused to be discouraged when Jesus turned down her request.
- Syrophoenician woman persisted until Jesus responded with a solution.
- Syrophoenician woman walked back home with her problem solved. (Jesus took care of it.)
As a Christian, you must take a pragmatic approach to addressing your problem.
Pray to God and act!
- Understand that you are a child of God deserving to receive his benefits.
- Walk up to Jesus in prayers.
- Do not give up on your efforts even when it appears things are not working.
- Prepare your mind as people may turn you down- Don’t let rejection destroy your morale.
- Understand that you occupy a special place in God’s mind; he will never ignore you.
- God will create a situation that will turn to your benefits; he will send the necessary helper as you make your efforts.
- Be confident in God and know:
- Your God cannot be restricted and he cannot be defeated.
- Your God whom you serve and trust will not leave you comfortless.
- Your God will respond to your needs and make your face shine.
In recap to the teachings on faith and action, Christians must venture to take the full benefits of their faith in God. They must venture to complement their faith with the necessary action that will generate the expected result.
Pray For God’s Strength To Put Your Faith Into Practice
Pray in faith and expect a solution.
Dear God I know that you have the power to do all things. You are God that answers prayers, and there is nothing too difficult for you to do. I am asking that you give me the strength to reserve an absolute trust in you.
Please give me the power to be proactive with my faith by taking every necessary step that will propel me to victory. Also, help me to exercise faith as I pray so that my joy can be full. Give me the ability to confess the promises of the scriptures into my situations. Let my faith declaration result to my healing, deliverance, prosperity, and other benefits. Please fill my mouth with the testimony of your goodness. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen. If you like what you’re reading, subscribe here
