Understanding Faith in God

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.—Hebrews 11:6

Very few things are said to be impossible in the Bible. When we find that word in Scripture, it is usually in the context that nothing is impossible with God. Yet the Bible tells us that we cannot please God without faith. The three levels—or aspects—of faith we need to have are these:

Believe God Is

Believing God is goes beyond a mental awareness that He is real. This level of faith requires that we understand that He wants to be an effective presence in our lives. Living with that awareness drives us to turn to Him when in trouble. 

Believe God Can

Beyond believing that God is real, we should learn to have faith in His ability to handle our problems. The reason the father of the demon-possessed boy doubted God's ability to heal was that the disciples were powerless; but when he questioned Jesus; power, the answer was a challenge to his own faith. Obtaining the answer did not take complete and total faith—just enough to request, "Help thou mine unbelief."

Believe God Will

The mature faith not only believes in God's ability but also in His promises. Paul was confident that what he had been told would come to pass. After you have seen God work time and time again, you will begin to develop a settled confidence that He will answer your prayers. Those answers will not always be on your timetable or exactly what you were expecting. Faith believes that God will do what is best, not necessarily what you think is best.
—taken from A Vision of God by Robert Byers. To read this book in its entirety, please purchase your copy here.