Have you been seeing results in your life, or has your walk with God been all form and no power? Maybe you've been making faith confessions, praying and fasting, but you still feel that something is lacking. The problem may not be that you are doing something wrong; instead, it may be that you simply don't have real confidence in what you are doing. Confidence is often the missing substance of faith, but it is rooted and grounded in understanding God's love for you. When you truly understand His love, you will have confidence in His Word.
The reason many Christians—despite all of their confessing, praying and believing—aren't experiencing the kind of life that God intends for them to have is because they don't really believe that God wants to bless them. Religion has painted a picture of God that portrays Him as an exacting taskmaster who is waiting to strike Believers with a lightening bolt when they make a mistake. He is often seen as some kind of impersonal being who is more concerned with punishing people than showing them love. But that idea of God is just that—an idea. And it's an incorrect one at that.
The Scripture says that God is love (1 John 4:16). He loves you, and it is your knowledge of and belief in His love that will boost your confidence. This comes through studying the Word and spending time with Him in prayer. When you read the Bible in search of revelation, God will speak a word to your spirit that is meant specifically for you.
But speaking and acting on words of faith isn't enough to make things happen. You must have confidence in the words you speak for them to have the power to change your circumstances. That kind of confidence only comes through meditating on the Word of God until it becomes more real to you than your situation or circumstance. This is called establishing your heart in the Word of God. When you do this, your words of faith will have power behind them to produce results.
When you reflect on confidence, think about a person who is fully persuaded about what he believes; he can't be moved from his stance. For example, have you ever heard two people debating a current issue or event? People tend to get into heated arguments when it comes to the things they believe. Usually these types of discussions create conflict because people aren't willing to budge when it comes to what they believe. That's the kind of doggedness that God wants you to have when it comes to His Word.
Regardless of what you may have previously believed, not only can God bless you, but He wants to bless you. So get in His Word and fellowship with Him in prayer. When you know Him intimately, you'll have no problem trusting His voice when He speaks to you, and your confidence in Him will cause your faith to soar!
