Introduction

Jesus encountered many people during his ministry with varying levels of faith. But there were two individuals that caused Jesus to commend them for having “great faith.” In Matthew 15, Jesus was drawing away from the crowds when a Gentile woman came running after him. Her daughter suffered from demon possession, and she pleaded for him to heal her. Jesus seemed to reject her request, saying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . . . It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she didn’t relent. She responded that even dogs received scraps. In response, Jesus not only granted her request, he publicly praised her: --- “Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.” — Matthew 15:28 --- In another instance, Luke notes the time a Roman centurion sent Jewish elders on his behalf to ask for healing for his severely sick servant. He knew he was at a disadvantage as an officer of the Roman army. He considered himself unworthy to have Jesus come into his home. But he also used his position to explain why he believed Jesus could heal even from far away: “I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say . . . to my servant, ‘do this,’ and he does it.” Here’s how Jesus responded: --- “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’” — Luke 7:9 (NIV) --- Matthew used the Greek word “megas” to describe the Gentile woman’s faith. The word means “of considerable size, number, magnitude, or extent.” Luke used the Greek word *tosoutos* to describe the centurion’s faith. The word means “vast in quantity and amount; large; notably above average in size and magnitude.” In this guide, we will study men and women of great faith. They were people with significant flaws in their character and often made big mistakes in their life, but they all exhibited great faith. They were ordinary men and women, but they had confidence in an extraordinary God. Flawed and fallible but filled with faith. Let their lives inspire and provoke you to have great faith during this week of prayer, fasting, and consecration. Each day also features faith confessions adapted from God’s Word. Scripture constantly points to the strong connection between our faith and the words of our mouth. When the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, he told them, “If you have faith . . . you can say . . . ” (Luke 17:5–6, NIV). The author of Hebrews urged the saints to endure difficult times by holding fast to the confession of their faith (Hebrews 4:14). Paul said the very spirit of faith was connected to the words of our mouth. --- “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.” — 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV) --- May this guide help you develop a habit of meditating, speaking, and acting on the Word of God.

Preparation for the Fast

Genesis 15:1–6, Romans 4:19–21, Genesis 12:1–9

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” — Romans 4:19–21 Read: Abraham’s faith was an informed faith; it was not a faith divorced from reality. He weighed the facts carefully. He contemplated his own body. He recognized how old he was, and how barren Sarah was. He was aware of the odds against their having a child. But through his careful analysis, he never became weak in faith. The promise of God carried more weight than his circumstances—as hopeless as they seemed. “Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed.” “Abraham did not shut his eyes to these unfavorable circumstances; he took them into careful consideration. But when he set them over against the promise of God, he found that the certainty of God’s ability and will to fulfill his promise outweighed them all.” Faith does not deny reality, but it does acknowledge that there is something more real: God’s Word. This is not always easy, especially when we are bombarded with contrary circumstances. But it is how faith works. As Martin Luther said: “It is a quality of faith, that it wrings the neck of reason and strangles the beast. But how? It holds to God’s Word, and lets it be right and true, no matter how foolish and impossible it sounds. So did Abraham take his reason captive and slay it, inasmuch as he believed God’s Word.” Apply: 1. What was so remarkable about Abraham’s faith as described by Paul in Romans 4:19–21? Why do you think that an informed and realistic faith is difficult for people to understand? Have you encountered the challenge of having to face facts squarely in the eye without losing faith? What did God teach you in those circumstances? 2. When was the last time you received bad news? How did you respond? How should you have responded? What can you do to ensure that the next time you hear bad news, you will respond in faith? Pray: *Adapted from Romans 4:20–21; Mark 9:23; Matthew 9:29, 17:20; Romans 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:12; Proverbs 6:21–22; Psalms 40:8, 119:89, 119:160, 138:2; Hebrews 10:16.* I respect the promises of God, and I do not waver in unbelief. I am strong in faith. I give glory to God. I am fully assured that what you promised, you are able to perform. All things are possible to me because I believe. It is done to me according to my faith. The righteous shall live by faith. I have faith the size of a mustard seed, and nothing is impossible to me. I fight the good fight of faith; I take hold of eternal life; I make the good confession. I bind your Word on my heart; I tie it around my neck. When I walk about, it will guide me; when I sleep, it will watch over me; when I awake, it will speak to me. I delight to do your will; your Word is within my heart. For you made this covenant with me; you put your Word upon my heart and wrote it upon my mind. Your Word is settled forever in heaven. You have magnified your Word according to your name. The sum of your Word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances is everlasting. Memorize: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1 Great faith confronts adversity and overcomes it with the Word of God. “THE FIRST TOOL GOD HAS GIVEN US TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH IS THE BIBLE . . . IF OUR FAITH ISN’T ROOTED IN THE BIBLE, IT WILL WITHER LIKE A PLANT PULLED OUT OF THE SOIL.” —Billy Graham, American Evangelist

Day 1

Hebrews 11:11, Genesis 18:9–15, Genesis 21:1–7

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” — Hebrews 11:11 Read: Translated, the word “considered” means, “to think about carefully and thoroughly to form a proper judgment.” Sarah carefully and thoroughly thought about the faithfulness of God, and the result was faith—total confidence in God’s character. “The writer here chose to introduce his first heroine of faith, one who was able to overlook the physical limitation of her own barrenness to become a fruitful mother. Her faith, in fact, contributed to the startling multiplication of her husband’s seed, when old Abraham was as good as dead.” A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers training for slalom skiing. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers learned on the flats how to make right and left turns. After that, they learned to navigate the slalom slope in the same manner. As they trusted and obeyed the sighted skiers, they were able to cross the finish line. They depended solely on the sighted skiers’ word. It was either trust or catastrophe. We are the blind skiers attempting to navigate the slopes of life. But fortunately, we have a faithful guide directing us. If we trust him, we will finish the course. And we can trust him because he is faithful and perfect in integrity. Integrity is a rigid, unyielding, and steadfast adherence to the truth. Faith is impossible without it. Because God is perfect in integrity, we have a strong foundation for our confidence in God. Apply: 1. Total trust in God’s character results in complete confidence in his Word. Recount how you have encountered the faithfulness of God firsthand. 2. Constant meditation on God’s Word produces faith, obedience, and success. But it is not always easy to do. What are some of the obstacles you face that hinder you from meditating on God’s Word? What is one action step you can take immediately to start increasing the amount of time you spend meditating on God’s Word? Pray: *Adapted from Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalms 125:1, 1:1–3, 112:7, 118:6; Hebrews 4:14, 10:23, 3:1; Deuteronomy 30:11, 14.* I trust in you with all my heart, and I do not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge you. You will make my paths straight. For those who trust in you are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. My delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law I meditate both day and night. I am like a tree planted by the water; I will not fear when the heat comes. I am not anxious in a year of drought, and I continue to yield fruit. I will never be shaken. For my heart is steadfast, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Because I have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, I hold fast the confession of my faith without wavering. Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of my confession. His commandment is not too difficult for me, nor is it out of reach. But the word is very near me, in my mouth and in my heart, that I should observe it. Memorize: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” — Hebrews 11:6 Great faith focuses on the faithfulness of God. “NEVER BE AFRAID TO TRUST AN UNKNOWN FUTURE TO A KNOWN GOD.” —Corrie Ten Boom, Dutch War Hero and Author