One day a person came to me saying, “Bishop, my husband never
changes; I’ve been a Christian since I was little and I’ve been praying
for him but nothing is happening. He is addicted to drugs and alcohol
and our marriage is about to collapse.” I asked her: How often do you
pray for your husband to change? And she replied, “Everyday.” And I
asked her: What do you do when you see your husband drunk and under
the effect of drugs? She said, “I get mad, I get angry against him and we
fight a lot, verbally and physically.” I asked her: What about your
prayers? You asked God for something but when you see the problem,
you forget what you've asked God for and you start doing the things your way. That's the problem!

It's what happens to so many people and that's why they get no results from God. They pray to God, they ask and some others don't even ask any more or don't believe any more because they don't see any results. Deep inside they are not sure that God will answer them, because doubts took over their mind.

Many people think that just for the fact that they believe in God, or they are members of a church or they practise their religion faithfully, they are going to receive the blessings of God. NO WAY! Why? Has God not seen what is happening to them? Yes He has seen, but God can only work in our lives when we use our faith.

God is spirit. We can't move God's hands to bless us just because we're crying. God is waiting for our action, when we use our faith, that's when we receive what He promised.

Faith is a very powerful weapon that God has given us, and doubt is a very powerful weapon from the devil against us. When your faith is at its highest, your doubts will be at its lowest, and vice-versa; just like a seesaw.

Here's the conclusion: Without faith, people can't conquer what God has promised and the worst past is that without faith we can't please God and if we don't please God, how can we conquer the greatest blessing (Eternal Salvation)?

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is..." Hebrews 11:6

Doubt is a spirit of fear, "I don't know if I'll make it, or to have it, etc..."

"So Jesus answered and said to them, "'Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.'" Mark 11:22-23

When you use your faith, you have to act as if you've already received what you asked God and never doubt.

Live it, believe it, see it, dream it. Do not pay attention to what your eyes have seen but to what faith is telling you. The secret to a successful life is inside of your mind. You don't need to have a very big faith. Your faith can be small, but have confidence in your faith. Otherwise, doubts will destroy your dreams.

Jesus said: "...for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountainm 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 14:20


God bless you.

Bishop Marcelo Rocha