How to Develop Faith Proverbs 4:20-22

How to develop faith

Proverbs 4:20-22 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

1. Investigation: Attend to my words.

a. Attend (7181 * qashab) to prick up the ears, i.e. hearken, attend, give heed, mark well, regard.

b. Incline (5186 * natah) to stretch or spread out, to cause to yield.

c. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

d. 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2. Meditation: Keep them in your heart.

a. Keep (8104 * shamar) to hedge about with

thorns, guard, protect.

b. Joshua 1:8, meditate and confess.

c. Meditate (1897 * hagah) to murmur (in

pleasure or anger) by implication to ponder,

inquire, meditate, mutter.

d. The purpose of meditating the word in

Joshua 1:8 is to “observe to do” the written

Word. The Hebrew word for “observe” in

Joshua 1:8 is the same word for “keep” in

Proverbs 4:21.

e. The first three stages do not change the

circumstances, but change us so that we can

believe God for them to be changed.

3. Revelation & Illumination: Life to those who find

them.

a. Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I

may behold wonderous things out of thy law.

b. In Ephesians 1:17, 18 the Apostle Paul

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the

Father of glory, would give unto you the

Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the

Knowledge of him: the eyes of your

Understanding being enlightened; that you

may know what is the hope of his calling,

and what the riches of the glory of his

inheritance in the saints,”

c. At this point we become responsible for

doing what God has revealed to us: James

4:17.

d. It is also at this point where the trial of faith begins: 1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”.

4. Impartation & Action

a. Faith demands action, James 2:14-20.

b. Walking in faith involves speaking:

2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same

spirit of faith, according as it is written,

I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we

also believe, and therefore speak.”

c. Mark 11:22-24 is conditional upon the word already being illuminated in my heart.

5. Endurance

a. Resistance by faith: 1 Peter 5:8-10 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, Make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

b. Fight the fight of faith: 1 Timothy 6:12-14.

c. Cast not away your outspokenness: Hebrews 10:35-39.

d. Hold fast to your confession: Hebrews 10:23.