As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Matthew 9:27-30
The words of Jesus in the text above have always haunted me a little. “According to your faith will it be done to you.” In other words, Jesus clearly stated that faith is a condition of answered prayer and the answer seems to be proportional to the faith. This suggests that in many cases Jesus is willing to meet our expectations for him. If our expectations are low, then he will answer our prayers at that level. If our expectations are high, them he will also answer our prayers at that level. If we truly believe God for healing through doctors, then we are likely to receive our answer through doctors. If we truly believe God for supernatural healing, then we are likely to have our prayers answered at that level. If we don’t believe God is involved in healing at all, then he may well meet us at that level of faith.
When I write that, I hesitate because some were healed by Jesus who did not even know who he was or knew very little about him. The man born blind in John 9 didn’t seem to know much about Jesus, yet Jesus gave him his sight with a bit of a test for faith. After putting mud on his eyes, Jesus told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam and he would see. The man did as he was instructed and he saw for the first time. Jesus raised the dead for those who seemed to have no expectation that Jesus was going to do that. How could they? No one had seen the dead raised for centuries.
As I look at the gospels, in some instances Jesus created faith through miracles and at other times, faith is what created the miracle. It seems to hinge on whether or not a person should have acquired a certain level of faith through past experiences, religious culture, and the testimonies of others. Certainly, Jesus does not require perfect faith and is moved out of compassion as well as being moved by the faith of those who approach him. And yet, he still says that, in many cases, our prayers will be answered according to the faith we have for that answer.
For us, a scan of our faith might be in order. Like many things, we have an aspirational level of faith and an actual level of faith. I aspire to have great faith and so I often convince myself that I operate at that level of expectation. But the faith I aspire to have may not match my actual faith. The man in Mark 9, reflects where most of us are. “Lord I believe…help my unbelief.” I don’t believe that faith compels God to give us what we are asking for. He is still sovereign and our prayer may not be in our best interest, but our faith still pleases him. Faith certainly get his attention and a lack of faith disappoints. How many times did Jesus lament, “Oh you of little faith?”
In many ways, faith equals expectation. What is my expectation of God in any given moment? Do I truly expect him to answer my prayer or am I just hoping that he will without much firm expectation? If my prayers are answered according to my faith or expectation, and I know I’m lacking in some areas of my faith, how do I grow in that area?
I think there are some basic things I can do to grow in my faith. First of all, I can ask for a gift of faith and a greater measure of expectation. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul said, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Rom.12:3). If God gives us a measure of faith and faith pleases God, then we can certainly ask for more and he will be pleased to give it.
Secondly, our faith is ultimately based on the character of God because he always acts out of who he is. Spending time reflecting on the heart and character of God will increase our expectation. If he is good all the time, faithful all the time, and loving all the time then those traits give us assurance that he hears our prayers and answers those that are in our best interest. Love compels him to do so.
Thirdly, we need to hang around people with greater faith than we have. We need to go where God is responding to that faith with miracles. The more we see with our own eyes the more our expectations rise for what God is willing to do. Go to healing conferences. Go to prophetic conferences. Go to intercessory prayer conferences and hear the testimonies. Go on campaigns to third world nations where God is moving in powerful ways. Go to churches in your area where God is moving in power. Experience is a dynamic teacher that will raise your expectations.
It has been said that faith is the currency of heaven. If that is true, then we should pay attention to our faith and ask for more. We should put ourselves in places where our faith can increase. And we should spend time with people who speak the language of faith rather than the language of doubt. You will probably have to be intentional about all of that and a quest for faith may be involved that demands time and resources. However, the quest will be worth it. Be blessed today by His grace and favor.
