Life of Faith - Mark 11:24 | sermon by Father. Mungamuri Devadasu | Bible Mission

Mark 11:24 states: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

1. Faith can be described as blindness or given that label, but true faith is believing in what is unseen as if it already exists and disregarding what is seen as if it does not. As mentioned in Hebrews 11, faith is often referred to as the "eye of faith."
2. Faith is believing that what has not yet come will come, and what seems certain may not happen.
3. There are four types of vision:
1. Spiritual vision
2. Mental vision
3. Faith vision
4. Physical vision

1. Physical Vision:: The eyes of the body can perceive the earth, clouds, stars, sun, and moon, but their sight is limited. They cannot see everything—true vision belongs to the spiritual eye. Since the physical eye is made of flesh, it cannot perceive divine glory or the fullness of reality. Often, it is drawn toward sin, making it incapable of seeing holiness. Its focus remains on the earthly realm, and it only perceives what seems naturally possible, lacking the ability to see beyond the physical.

2. Faith Vision: Faith can be described as a form of vision, for it sees all things. This vision possesses foresight (divine sight) and perceives the impossible as possible. It is incomprehensible to those bound to the physical world.

For example:

• Even when someone is sick, faith sees them healed before the healing occurs.
• In poverty, faith envisions prosperity.
• In sorrow, faith perceives joy.
• In hopelessness, faith sees hope.
• In helplessness, faith sees help.
• In affliction, faith envisions deliverance.
• In weakness, faith perceives strength.

Faith enables one to see beyond circumstances and into the realities of God’s promises.

Faith and expectation are different. Believing is one thing, but possessing the gift of faith is another. Expectation means believing before praying that "I will pray, the Lord will hear, and He will fulfill it," but this is not faith; it is expectation. Even after praying, if one says, "I have prayed, the Lord has heard my prayer, and He will surely fulfill it," this too is expectation, not faith. Blessed are those who wait with expectation, for they will surely receive their reward. Faith, however, is declaring after prayer that "the answer has already come, the prayer is already fulfilled," even before seeing any evidence. This is the language of faith—faith itself. Explaining faith is difficult. For example, when you are hungry and eat food, your hunger disappears. If someone asks whether you ate, you reply, "Yes, I finished eating." If they ask whether your hunger is gone, you confirm, "Yes, it is." When they question how it went away, you simply say, "Because I ate food." If they press further, asking what exactly happened, you can only say, "I know my hunger is gone, I can say it is gone, but I cannot explain how it happened." Similarly, faith is something experienced rather than merely explained—it is knowing without needing proof.

Believing in Faith: During prayer, many failures may arise. However, continue to believe, and in the end, you will witness complete victory.

Dear friend, if you desire that you and your family live by faith—both physically and spiritually—kneel before God, pray earnestly, and receive the gift of faith. Then, you will truly understand what faith means. As you walk daily in faith, you will witness many marvelous things. Many people believe, but only a few possess the true gift of faith.

·        Do not rely on yourself or your own understanding.

·        Do not trust and depend on your relatives.

·        Do not trust and rely on your friends.

·        Do not depend on your neighbors.

·        Do not put your faith in the people of your town.

·        Do not rely on the people of your village.

·        Do not place your trust in authorities—whether governmental or religious.

·        Do not depend on your own mission or purpose.

·        Do not rely solely on your religion.

·        Do not trust in your offerings or contributions.

·        Do not put your confidence in your life itself.

·        Do not rely on public admiration or popularity.

·        Do not depend on your profession.

·        Do not trust in your physical strength.

·        Do not rely on your own wisdom.