Seven Steps to Grow in Your Faith
Step One: Salvation
Jesus said: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6 ESV).
There is only one true way to God and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. You can know about God, yet not know God. He wants to have a personal relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The most important decision you can ever make is to invite Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior. That is why I am beginning this book talking about this subject. The following are the steps to find peace with God and to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior:
God has a Plan for You and Your Life.
God loves you and wants you to experience His wonderful peace and life.
The Bible says: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17
Our Problem is we are Separated from God.
Our sin creates a barrier between us and God.
The Bible says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
God’s Remedy - The Cross of Jesus Christ
God’s love bridges the gap of separation between God and you. When His Son Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He paid the penalty for our sins. The Cross of Jesus Christ is the bridge. That bridge creates the pathway for us to be able to cross over from our sin to new life with the Lord.
The Bible says: He personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross. 1 Peter 2:24
Our Decision is to Receive Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: Yet, to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior you need to do three things:
1. Accept Jesus as your personal Savior.
2. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died for you, and your sins on the Cross, then rose again.
3. Confess your sins, and ask Jesus to forgive you, and to come into your heart and life.
1 John 1:8-9 says: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9 says: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The Bible says: Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
What to Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I believe that You are the Son of God and You died on the Cross for my sins then rose from the dead. I want to turn from my sins. I invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus name, Amen.
Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Now that you have asked Jesus into your heart, the next step is to make Him Lord of your life.
Step 2: Lordship
Jesus said in Luke 9:23-24: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
I’m going to share with you the principle of Lordship, making Jesus Lord of your life. Lordship is praying and asking Jesus Christ to take control of your life through the Holy Spirit. It is turning complete control of your life over to Jesus. It is not just an outward profession, but an inward sincere desire and attitude of our heart.
Let’s use driving as an example. When we first experience salvation, it is like inviting Jesus into our car, into the passenger seat. We are still in control. We are still driving. But that doesn’t work out very well! Lordship is letting Jesus drive and take control of our lives. Yielding control of your life to Him, the drive will go so much better!
Jesus is specifically called “Savior” sixteen times in the New Testament and “Lord” more than four hundred and fifty times. Lord means: having power, dominion, authority, and the right to master. We cannot submit to Christ’s Lordship without submitting to God’s Word. Receiving Jesus as Savior but not making Him Lord of your life will not result in a lasting salvation.
Making Jesus truly Lord of your life will allow you to walk in fellowship with Him. He will become your best friend. A wonderful example of Lordship is the booklet: My Heart-Christ’s Home. I encourage you to read this booklet. Make Jesus Lord of your life and over every part of your heart.
I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT)
Scriptures on Lordship: Psalm 37:4-5; Mark 12:30; Luke 9:23-24; John 14:23, 15:11; Acts 2:36-40, 8:16, 19:5; Romans 8:39, 10:9-10, 10:13; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Ephesians 3:16-17; Revelation 3:20.
Step 3: Foundations of Faith
Listen to the four-part podcast. The QR code on the back cover will take you to the Revival Lifestyle page. You will find Foundations of Faith there. You can also find it here: www.abbasheart.com/foundations-of-faith.
Session 1: Salvation, Assurance of Salvation, and the Lordship of Christ
Session 2: Prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Session 3: The Bible
Session 4: Open Doors and the Keys to Living an Overcoming, Victorious
Christian Life
Step 4: Read these books
Open Doors (Live free from the oppression of the enemy), The Prayer of Job (Forgiveness), and The Prayer of Moses (Walking in Right Standing with God). They are available in the Revival Center foyer and wherever books are sold.
Step 5: Four Daily Spiritual Principles
These are four principles that you need to incorporate into your life on a daily basis: Prayer, Bible reading, worship, and spending time in the presence of the Lord.
The first principle to incorporate daily is:
Prayer
The Word tells us:
Be joyful always; Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Start your day with the Lord in prayer. I believe in dedicating your day to the Lord in prayer before you even get out of bed in the morning. Jesus set aside time every day to pray. How much more should we? All through the gospels it talks about Jesus’ prayer life: He withdrew to a solitary place to pray. He got up early to pray. He prayed all night. He went to the garden to pray before the cross. Jesus lived a life of prayer.
Prayer is the necessary link to receiving
God’s blessings, the fulfillment of His promises,
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus maintained a lifestyle of prayer, and through it, brought healing, deliverance, and set the captives free. To have spiritual authority in prayer, you have to be connected to the source! Jesus is the source, and He is the one who heals. Being a pure vessel for Him to flow through is a most important aspect of prayer. Psalm 66:18 says: If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. Being a pure vessel means salvations, healings, and deliverances can be accomplished for the Kingdom and for His glory.
Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:9-15. Prayer is talking to God. It is the multi-faceted communication of believers with the Lord. Sometimes you may think you are too busy to pray. I want to encourage you, that your day will go much better by starting it in prayer. The Bible encourages us to devote ourselves to prayer, and to pray without ceasing; this means continual prayer, a conversation with the Lord in our hearts. This naturally happens as our minds and hearts are focused upon the Lord.
An important thing to remember is that there is no power behind our prayers if they are not linked to God and His will. The power in prayer comes from the Lord. Jesus prayed specifically and persistently, but always in submission to God and in accordance with the will of the Father. A perfect example of this is when Jesus was about to face the agony of the cross in Matthew 26:36-46.
Jesus also taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done.” Matthew 6:10. Through prayer we discover what His will is, by aligning our hearts with His, and then praying.
Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s Will.
Other scriptures on prayer to encourage you are:
2 Chronicles 7:14-16, 1 Samuel 1:1-28, Ezekiel 22:30, Psalm 51, 66:18, Matthew 6:5-15, 7: 7-12, 21:21-22, 26:36-44, Mark 11:24, Luke 6:12, 11:5-13, 22:39, John 15:7, 16:24, ch.17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:12-21, 6:18-19, Philippians 4:6-7, 19 , Colossians 1:9-10, 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Hebrews 4:16, 10:22, James 5:13, 5:16, 1 John 3:22, Jude 20
The second principle to incorporate each day:
Reading the Bible
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
I encourage you to daily read the Word of God. Pray and ask the Lord to give you a love for His Word. Ask Him through the Holy Spirit to help you to understand the Bible, as you are reading it, and to apply it to your life.
When you read your Bible, you get to know Jesus better. The Bible gives us direction, helps to keep us from sinning, and has the answers to all of life’s questions. What other book can you say that about? The Bible helps us to know Christ, live in Christ, obey Christ, and witness for Christ.
The Bible is one of the ways that God talks to us. God will never contradict or go against His Word.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
Why Should We Read the Bible?
· The Bible is how God speaks to us. John 1:1
· It reveals who He is. 2 Timothy 3:16
· To get to know the Lord, have a personal relationship, and fellowship with Him. John 3:16-17, 1 John 1:1-4.
· It shows God’s love for us. 1 John 4:7-21, John 3:16.
· It produces faith. Romans 10:17, Matthew 21:21-22.
· It encourages us to trust the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 23.
· It keeps us from sinning. Psalm 119:11
· It brings freedom from sin. 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51.
· It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
· It is our offensive weapon to fight the devil off with, our sword. Ephesians 6:17
· It keeps us from being deceived. 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
· It brings healing. Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:1-5, James 5:14-16
· It brings comfort. The book of Psalms.
· It gives us wisdom. The book of Proverbs. James 1:5
· It directs and teaches us. Psalm 119:105, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
· It protects us. Psalm 91.
· It manifests truth. The truth sets us free. John 8:36.
· It renews our mind. Romans 12:2
· It strengthens and equips us. Ephesians 4:11-16, Ephesians 6:10-20
· It releases us from condemnation. Romans 8:1
· It enables us to give a reason for the faith we profess. 1 Peter 3:15
· It prepares us for what God has called us to do. 2 Timothy 2:15
· It encourages us that God has good plans for us. Jeremiah 29:11
All that and so much more!
Billy Graham said: “Long ago I decided to accept the Bible by faith. This should not be difficult for anyone to do. Most of us do not understand nuclear fission, but we accept it. I don’t understand television, but I accept it. Why is it so easy to accept all these man-made miracles and so difficult to accept the miracles of the Bible?”
It is helpful to use a Bible in a version that you can understand (NLT, ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV). A study or life application Bible are good tools also. You can use a Bible reading plan (a Bible reading plan is a way to systematically work your way through the Old Testament and the New Testament), and highlight the verses that stand out to you, as you read. Memorizing scripture, studying the Bible, and attending Bible studies will help you to grow in your faith.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NASB)
Other scriptures on Bible reading are:
Deuteronomy 6:1-7, Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119, 138:2, Matthew 5:18, John 1:1-5, Acts 2:29-36, 17:6, 20:32, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:12, 4:11-16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Timothy 4:11-16, 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:15-17, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:5, 1:22 , 2 Peter 1:20-21
The third principle to exercise daily is:
Worship
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His people,
the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100
Worship is so much more than singing a song about God, but ascribing to Him the honor, glory, and praise that is due Him. The word “worship” is derived from an old English word “worthship,” and constitutes those actions and attitudes that ascribe honor and worth to the great God of heaven and earth. Worship is God-centered, not human-centered because worship focuses our attention on the Lord rather than on ourselves.
In Christian worship we draw near to God with joy and gratitude for what He has done for us in Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Worship expresses faith, love, and devotion from our hearts and with our lives to God the Father and to the worthy lamb who was slain for our sins.
Worship may express itself in the form of direct address, as in adoration or praise, thanksgiving, singing, or in service to God; and may be in private or public.
When I am worshipping the Lord, I like to imagine that I am standing before the Lord, in the throne room of God. How would I act? How would I give Him glory? I would praise Him with my mouth, raise my hands to Him, sing a worship song to Him from my heart. My eyes are upon Him and Him alone, with my spirit and soul acknowledging that He is worthy to be praised!
Make it a priority to daily worship Him.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 145:3
Other scriptures on worship are:
1 Chronicles 16:25, Nehemiah 8:5-6, Psalm 18:3, Psalm 29:1-2, Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 34:1-3, Psalm 48:1-14, Psalm 95:1-7, Psalm 96:4, Psalm 99:5,9, Psalm 100, Psalm 121:1, Psalm 145:3, Psalm 149, Psalm 150, John 4:1-26, Ephesians 5:19-20
The fourth principle to incorporate daily is to:
Spend Time in the Presence of the Lord
Psalm 46:10 says:
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
Daily spend time in the presence of the Lord. Listening, not petitioning during this time. Being content to be in His presence. The Hebrew meaning of this phrase, be still, can be translated “let go.” It means to quit holding on to things that keep you from exalting God and giving Him the proper place of honor in your life. Spending time with the Lord in His presence; not petitioning, or doing personal devotions, or Bible study during this time; but sitting, being still, listening, and enjoying His presence and fellowship.
It is important that there are no distractions during this time. Such as: cell phones, texting, computers, email, television, radio, social media, or even music.
If you are always busy, never being still, constantly distracted, you will never spend the time with the Lord or get to know Him, hear His voice, or spend time in His presence.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. Psalm 23:2
Let’s look at the life of David when he was a shepherd. He spent a lot of hours in the fields, watching over the sheep. While doing that, he had time to spend with the Lord: thinking about Him, worshipping Him, and praying. Many Psalms in the Bible were written as a result of David spending that time with the Lord.
Our heavenly Father invites each of us into the fellowship of His presence. To what degree are we listening, observing, and following His lead?
Scriptures that encourage you to spend time in His Presence, some were written by David:
Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 29, Psalm 30, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 46, Psalm 42, Psalm 37:3-7, John 10:1-18, Acts 4:13
It is so important to incorporate these four daily spiritual principles into your life. In implementing each one of them-prayer, reading the Bible, worship and spending time in the presence of the Lord- you will find yourself growing and focused on Jesus.
Step Six: Go to Church
First of all, go to a church that honors Jesus Christ and His Word—the Bible, for corporate worship and prayer, to receive prayer and encouragement. We also go to church to learn from and gain instruction from the Bible, for Christian fellowship, for evangelism and for opportunities to serve the Lord!
Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one and another—and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
It is so important to meet together regularly in order to encourage and strengthen each other to stand firm in Christ. If we withdraw from the body of Christ and neglect meeting with other believers, we will become weaker, more prone to compromise, and more susceptible to deception and the enemy’s schemes.
Billy Graham writes: “The church is primarily the body of Christ… The Bible says that it was Christ’s love for the church that caused him to go to the cross. If Christ loved the church that much...I must love it too. I must pray for it, defend it, work in it, pay my tithes and offerings to it, help to advance it, promote holiness in it, and make it the functional, witnessing body our Lord meant it to be. You go to church with that attitude this Sunday, and nobody will keep you away the next!”
In the New Testament church, worship services consisted of: preaching, reading of scripture, prayer, singing, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper (Communion), prophesying and tongues, worship, and fellowship with other believers. As a Christian, we should look forward to going to church!
Scriptures: Psalm 29:1-2, 48:9, 122:1; Matthew 13:25-30; John 4:23-24; Acts 2:41, Acts 20:7; Romans 12:3-13; 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14, 16:12; Ephesians 4:1-16; Colossians 3:16-17, 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:13-16; 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 John 1:7.
Step 7: Share Your Faith
Tell someone about your new friend Jesus!
Then Jesus came to them and said: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
This scripture is for all believers. Jesus is telling us to go and make disciples, win the lost, and share the good news of the Gospel. That is why it is called the Great Commission. It is a command He gives that is not just for missionaries, pastors, and evangelists, but for all who follow Christ.
The term witnessing is used to describe the process of proclaiming the Christian faith to nonbelievers. As we witness, we tell others of what the Lord has done in our lives, and what we have experienced of God’s forgiveness, goodness, mercy, and grace. All Christians are called to witness. We share Christ by our lives, words, and actions. Some unfortunately are bad, ineffective witnesses, living compromised lives. Hopefully this will not be true of us.
We all have a part in bringing in the harvest.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in al Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
Scriptures: Matthew 4:19, 5:16, 9:35-38, 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 10:1-2; John 3:16-17; Acts 1:8, 4:13; Romans 1:16, 3:23; 1 Corinthians 9:16, 15:1, 3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 5:19; Philemon 4-7; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 1:1