Picture this. A young man is walking down a dark street when he is approached by a large, mean-looking man who will not let him pass. The young man isn’t quite as physically fit as he should be because he hasn’t been exercising or working out.
The young man, seeing that he is no match for the attacker, says, “Excuse me just one moment while I go home and work out with my weight set. Stay right here. Don’t move. I’ll be right back. Then we will fight.”
At this point the young man runs home, works out on his weights for 10 minutes and then goes back to the dimly lit street and fights the attacker. He wins because of his ten-minute workout.
It sounds silly, doesn’t it? But that’s the way many Christians try to live their lives spiritually. They wait until Satan attacks and then at the last minute try to exercise spiritually by reading a few verses and praying under pressure.
You Must be Prepared
Any time a person reads God’s Word and applies it to his life, it is good, but usually when the man stops you in the alley or Satan attacks your home, it’s too late to exercise your body or your faith.
If our spiritual muscles aren’t built up before the attack, we may find the attack more than we had expected. Be prepared. Build your faith daily. Then when the attack comes, your shield of faith will protect you.
So here’s the point. We must walk by faith each and every day. We cannot live like the world six days a week and then put in our two hours and two dollars on Sunday and expect that to be our faith.
Walking by faith is a lifestyle. Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Everything we do, everything we seek to accomplish, each day is to be in faith.
A few years ago, a friend of mind was facing a disaster in his life. He was at the end of his rope and didn’t know where to turn. He had tried everything except God, but now he was desperate. He would try anything to get out of the jam he was in. He wanted me to tell him how to pray to God and how to get his prayers answered.
Even though this man was a Christian, he always tried to solve everything in his life by his own power. I knew that in order for him to be helped, he needed some straight-forward teaching and needed to be shown these teachings in the Word.
I showed him that according to James 1:6, we must pray in faith if we expect to receive anything from God. I told him that when we pray according to God’s Word, we must believe and expect God to answer our requests.
A few weeks went by and I ran into this man at a local store. When I asked him how things were going, he made an all too common statement. He said, “Well, I tried praying in faith, but it didn’t work. Somehow I knew before I even prayed it wouldn’t and I guess I was right.”
Well, you don’t try faith. When we say we will try faith, we are admitting that there is a chance our prayers won’t be answered. When we believe there is a chance our prayers won’t be answered, there is doubt. Where there is doubt, there is no faith. Where there is no faith, God is restricted by His Own Word.
We must walk by faith.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.
