Ministers of the Gospel tell me, “You have the gift of faith.”
One early incident has made me think perhaps those who said I had the spiritual gift of faith were correct.
Years ago I attended a youth meeting. Two malicious teens started to disrupt the meeting. I wanted to stop the boys, but something told me to just pray instead. I prayed and the fellows quit causing trouble and left the premises.
I was impressed. But what happened next impressed me more. After perhaps thirty minutes, the boys came back. I continued in prayer. At the altar call the formerly disruptive fellows came forward to receive Christ!
I have never forgotten that episode. As I reflect, maybe I really do have a gift of faith! One of the elders of our church thinks so. Then at a conference in Mexico City in about 2021, Joel Onesimus (apostle from India) spoke before the entire gathering, “Mark, you are an apostle of faith!” I didn’t know quite what to do on that one. I thought apostles started churches. So I didn’t give full credence to that prophecy, but I’ve also never forgotten it.
The New Testament was written primarily in Greek. The Greek word for faith is pistis (which can also be translated as belief or believe.
Pistis is used in 2 ways in the New Testament:
1) a measure of faith which every believer in Christ has (Romans 12:3) and
2) the spiritual gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9). The two are distinct and separate. This page deals only with the latter.
(There is also a similar word in Greek—pistos—which is often translated “faithfulness” in English.)
I have defined the gift of faith as the supernatural ability to receive results from God by prayer or action.
Now, three years after the Joel Onesimus prophecy, I’m trying to understand more fully the gift of faith and how to operate in it. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 names various spiritual gifts of grace and includes the gift of faith.
But that section of scripture merely lists the gifts and doesn’t tell us details about their operation.
Here are some of my questions. Does the gift work across the board? Should we be able to pray about anything in God’s will and see it come to pass? Or is it limited to specific areas for any one person such as finances or healings or pregnancy?
How does speaking in tongues relate to the gift of faith?
What really is the gift of faith?
Who is experienced, proven with this gift? With whom can I discuss this to learn more?
I called Clay Hudson, a 91-year-old pastor, church planter and trainer with world-wide experience.
"What is the gift of faith?" I queried. Without a pause, he replied, "It’s a gift--you can't earn it, can't work for it."
“When opportunity knocks, move ahead boldly, It may come unexpectedly. When it knocks, move quickly into it. This will broaden the range of the gift.”
“For example,” Clay continued, “I once heard a pregnant woman on the steps ahead of me cry out in shrieking pain. She had severely turned her ankle--maybe broken it--on the steps. She was in excruciating pain. Immediately, I felt compassion for her. Without thinking, I grabbed her ankle and commanded restoration. The next thing I knew she began to dance right on the platform beside the steps. Her cries turned to shouts of praise! She was immediately healed! A miracle right there on the steps!
Then Pastor Clay continued, "Logic comes from the soul, the gift of faith comes from the spirit, where Christ is in us."
"Faith works through love (compassion)," he concluded.
Next, I called Eleazer Mendoza. Eleazer coordinates a vibrant network of churches from Canada nearly to Guatemala.
“The gift of faith is a special anointing to believe God for a certain thing to happen,” Eleazer explained.
“For example: God called my wife and me to leave Mexico, move to Waco to work with Brother Robert Ewing. We had to leave everything and start anew without any financial backing. God provided amazingly!
I also asked Eleazer about the role of tongues and faith. “Do we need to exercise faith when we speak in tongues?”
His answer was simple and concise. “We live by faith,” he replied. “Faith is automatic for the believer.”
I will try one more, I mused. Fred Herzog of Minnesota talked about the process of the gift of faith. The promise of God (in the Bible)-> faith->rhema word->gift of faith.
He continued, “We cannot initiate faith.” If we need to, go to Jeremiah 33:3. Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty (or hidden) things, which you do not know.
Fred had a lot more to say about the operation of the gift of faith. He gave an example of how the gift functions as a result of prophecy.
He emphasized how the gift functions in the area of a person’s God-given ministry. For example, someone called to be an evangelist will experience grace for the gift of faith to flow in leading many to salvation. Someone flowing in the ministry of healings will see grace in the area of healings.
He also noted the spiritual gift works primarily for the benefit of others, rather than for the benefit of the one who operates the gift.
These three proven ministers helped me understand the operation of the gift of faith. Together they broadened my understanding. I’m glad I called them. After speaking with the three, It occurred to me that I am too isolated. I don’t want to be like the scripture where the eye says to the hand, “I have no need of you.” (1 Cor 12:21)
A few days after visiting with Clay, Eleazer and Fred, I applied Jer 33:3 to a specific problem area for me. I couldn’t seem to get grace to pray for a certain relationship of two people I know. So I tried Jer 33:3, “Show me something hidden.”
The word “NOW” came clearly. That one word melted into Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance [or substance] of things hoped for [expected], the conviction of things not seen.
Going through the process gave me faith to believe for that specific relationship.
I had found earlier that when the gift of faith works in me, my spirit sometimes churns like kneading dough with my hands. My spirit (in my stomach area) began to churn as I exercised faith for that relationship.
We are discussing the unique and powerful gift of faith which only God can give. We can’t earn it or work it up by our own power.
Perhaps you are needing a remedy in some specific area? Who do you know—perhaps in your own Spirit-filled congregation—that is proficient in the use of the spiritual gift of faith? Would you be willing to approach that person and ask his/her help?
God gives these gifts for His glory. He wants each and every local church to flow freely in His gifts of grace.