Faith is the substance of things HOPED for. So don't confuse faith and hope. Faith is substance; assurance. That substance comes through knowledge. Faith is that which gives you assurance of what you hope for. So when I preach on the prophetic parallels and show how God has been working throughout history, and when I show the power of God, I am building people's faith, their substance in what they are hoping for. Also, remember that faith is a confidence in something that is not yet seen. So having confidence that I am walking on the floor is not faith, for I can see the floor. It has to be a confidence and assurance in something that is not yet visible.
The woman who was healed when she touched Jesus, was healed because of her faith, not her hope. She had SUBSTANCE to her hope, she had an assurance that her hope of being healed would manifest. That substance was based upon the knowledge about who Jesus was and in his power. She knew he healed others.
So to be healed, one must go beyond simply hoping that they will be healed, to having full assurance through knowledge that they will be healed.
We must pray, read the scripture, and do whatever it takes to build knowledge and conviction in the name of Jesus. Moreover, using the name of Jesus on a thing or situation will only be effective if we have full assurance and conviction about the outcome of that thing or situation. THEN will healing manifest when we use his name. Knowledge and revelation about God's will, helps to direct our actions of faith.
-Remember, healing is a gift of the Spirit, and it’s the Spirit that initiates the manifestation of us healing someone. It’s not an act of our will, but is as act of the Spirit’s will as we are lead by Him.
Also, to use the name of Jesus, one must truly have assurance and conviction regarding the reality of Jesus.
One must not be a hoper, but a true believer. You don't choose what you believe in, you just believe based upon conviction.
"I'm not choosing to believe I am standing on the ground right now, I simply know that I am."
“I don’t want you to just choose to believe, I want you to truly believe.”
Non-believers should pray, and ask God to reveal himself to them so that they KNOW and have full conviction about WHO he is. Ask for revelation, so that Jesus will open their minds to see him.
"Faith is the "evidence" of things not seen."
Again, knowledge and personal experience will give evidence and full conviction about a thing not yet seen, which is faith.
Abraham had faith in God and left his home because he had evidence. His evidence was that God just spoke to him! And his corresponding action of acting on that evidence by leaving his home was an act of faith.
Noah had faith (EVIDENCE and conviction) that it would rain, because God came to him and spoke with him.
Paul had faith (EVIDENCE and conviction) that Jesus was indeed the messiah, because he SAW him on the road to Damascus.
“When we are certain and have assurance about something, we don’t have to keep asking for it! Ha, I don’t have to pray that God will allow me to stand on this floor, rather, since I am confident that I am standing on the floor because of knowledge and evidence, I THANK him that I’m standing on the floor! Likewise, we don’t have to keep asking God to save us, no, since we have confidence and assurance of it (faith) we give THANKS to God for it! Paul didn’t keep begging God to release him from prison, he had full confidence that he would be released, and he thanked God for the breakthrough in advance, and THEN the gates were opened. Thus, when one has true faith, they don’t have to keep asking God for what they hope for. When you are still asking God for what you hope for, it shows that you lack faith because you obviously don’t have the full confidence that it is yours! Therefore, when you obtain assurance and confidence about that hope through knowledge and evidence, you won’t find yourself asking God for it, rather, you will find yourself thanking God for it!”
Hebrews 11:1
Hebrews 11:6
Rom 10:14
Romans 4:20-21, mentions how Abraham was fully convinced.
1 Corinthians 2:5, Paul desires for their full assurance, conviction, and evidence to rest on God’s power.
The disciples came to Jesus and said "Lord, increase our faith." Jesus turned to them and said, "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains" (Matt. 17:20, Luke 17:5).
Jesus was one step of ahead of them. He knew that the problem wasn't that they didn't have enough faith, the problem was, they didn't have the RIGHT kind of faith. You see, if you want to move mountains in your life, and to overcome fear, don't ask that "YOUR faith is increased". Rather, ask that Jesus will give you His faith, which is the right kind of faith.
In essence, Jesus was telling them, "If you have My kind of faith, you won't need to have more of it, even if you have so little of it that its the size of a mustard seed or the size of a grain of salt, you will be able to move the immovable. Let us pray not for God to increase OUR faith, but that we may possess HIS faith. Even a grain of His faith can do wonders.