The spiritual gift of faith – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Spiritual gifts are unique abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each believer to serve others, build the church, and bring glory to God. The spiritual gift of faith is a special empowerment from the Holy Spirit that enables some believers to display extraordinary trust in God's promises and power. While all Christians have saving faith, this gift stands out for its boldness in prayer, confidence in God's action, and consistent obedience. Scripture connects this gift to figures like Abraham, Noah, and others who acted in faith and inspired those around them. Jesus taught that even a small amount of true faith can move mountains, highlighting the power of faith-filled prayer and action. Today, those with the gift of faith encourage the church by modeling unwavering trust and praying with confidence that God will move.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Genesis records Abraham exercising an amazing faith in both relocating to a foreign land (Genesis 12:1-4) and obeying God by offering to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus mentions the importance of having even a small amount of faith: "For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).
• In another passage, Jesus shared the connection between faith and prayer, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith" (Matthew 21:21-22).
• When Jesus healed a mute epileptic after His apostles failed to, He attributed their failure to their lack of faith (Matthew 17:19-20). In the parallel account in Mark, the boy’s father asks Jesus to help his “unbelief” (Mark 9:14–29), which shows that we can ask the Lord to increase our faith when we have doubts.
• Hebrews 11 emphasizes the importance of faith by listing many Old Testament saints who lived and died by their faith in the Lord God.
• James 1:5-8 also emphasizes the importance of faith in prayer. In James 2:14-26, he stresses the demonstration of works as a result of having faith.
• In Romans 12:3 Paul indicates that not all have the same measure of faith. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Because of certain Bible passages, many see the gift of faith as closely connected with prayer. Some believers seem to be naturally gifted to pray in faith in ways other believers are not. Such prayers can "move mountains."

Hebrews chapter 11 mentions people who seem gifted in faith. For example, Abraham followed God's call by faith to leave his land and people to travel to an unknown land God said he and his descendants would inherit. By faith, Joshua led the people of Israel around Jericho and Rahab believed by faith and was rescued from the city's destruction.

Noah's life serves as a clear example of one with great faith. God told Noah to build an ark to rescue his family from a giant flood. He acted in faith, resulting in much work, the construction of perhaps the largest boat of his time. His faith resulted in actions that pleased God and helped others.

As with other spiritual gifts, the gift of faith is for the encouragement of others. Those gifted in faith express that through faithful prayers for others and can help others to deal with doubt by looking to God in faith.

UNDERSTAND

• The gift of faith is a Spirit-empowered trust in God that goes beyond saving faith.
• Biblical examples of faith like Abraham and Noah show this gift in bold action and obedience.
• The gift of faith builds up the Church through confident prayer and encouraging others to trust God.

REFLECT

• When have you been challenged to trust God beyond what seemed reasonable, and how did you respond?
• In what areas of your life do you struggle to pray with confidence that God will move and how would growing in faith help you in these areas?
• How might you grow in faith by learning from those who demonstrate bold, unwavering trust in God?

ENGAGE

• How do we recognize the spiritual gift of faith in someone, and how does it benefit the wider church community?
• What can we learn from Abraham, Noah, or other faith-filled figures in Scripture about trusting God in difficult circumstances?
• How can we as believers support and encourage one another to pray in faith and act with courageous obedience to God’s call?