Increase Our Faith

"The apostles said to The LORD, 'Increase our faith!' "  Luke 17:5 (NIV) 

According to Luke, the physician and travelling companion of the Apostle Paul, after Jesus had spoken to His disciples about forgiveness and the number of times that they should forgive a transgressor, (Luke 17:3-4), they said to Him "Increase our faith."  The disciples recognized that they needed more faith and they asked The Lord to give them more of it. 

Some of the time God gives us what we ask Him for, and other times He puts in situations where we have an opportunity to demonstrate and develop that which we have asked Him for.  Those of us with very little faith, must exercise it and use it in order for it to grow and increase.  We can increase our faith by asking The Lord for it, and then believing and acting as if that which we asked for is already done. (Luke 17:5-10)  We need to ask in prayer, be obedient to His Word, praise The Lord, give Him glory, and give Him thanks for blessing us with that which we asked for. (Luke 17:12-19)  We need to be humble when we approach Him, knowing and believing that there is power in His Word. (Matthew 8:8)  We need to believe that His touch can change our life. (Matthew 9:20-22)  We need to demonstrate, practice, and exercise our faith when we are in trying circumstances and situations. (James 1:2-3)  We need to be obedient to The Word of God and do His will, for without faith it is impossible to please God, (Hebrews 11:6), but  faith without works to back it up is meaningless. (James 2:17-20 and  2:26)