Mensa Otabil - Daring By Faith (10/26/2025)
Thank you. Welcome to a brand new week, and this is day number 12 of our 40 days of power. I trust that you’ve been enjoying this time of prayer. I believe you are hearing from God, and I believe God is doing signs and wonders in your life.
This week, we will focus on breaking barriers. Part of our fasting is so that things that are hindrances to us will be moved out of our way, so that’s what our devotions will focus on. We established Mark chapter 11, verse 23. 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. Faith is very important for the Christian journey, and it’s important that as we are fasting, we also know how to operate in faith. You know, if you don’t operate in faith and just don’t eat, it’s not going to amount to much. So, we have to learn to operate by faith.
A few lessons about faith we must learn: first, faith is no respecter of persons. The passages say, «Whosoever» or «whoever» says to this mountain. God has no special people with special titles who can trust Him and others who cannot trust Him. Everybody can have faith in God, and everybody can operate in faith. So, don’t see yourself as just a church member; a pastor is not the only one who’s supposed to have faith. He says «whosoever,» and you are whosoever.
The second thing we learn here is that faith believes in the heart. You know, sometimes you can have doubt in your head; you can have all kinds of thoughts in your head, but you have a settled sense of assurance within you that God’s word is true and that God will do what He says He would do. So, even when you are battling doubts in your heart, it’s important to have a settled anchor of faith within you. Faith believes with the heart; it does not believe in the head but believes with the heart. It’s possible sometimes to walk by faith and still have some nagging thoughts trying to disturb you. So, everyone can operate in faith. Faith believes in the heart.
The third thing is that faith speaks out. «Whoever says to this mountain…» So, faith speaks out, and faith speaks to the situation. If you have faith, you don’t keep silent; you don’t say, «Well, I’m keeping it to myself.» No, faith has to be exhibited, and the way to exhibit your faith is to speak boldly by the authority that God has given to you. You say, «In the name of Jesus, I command so and so to move out of my way.» That’s how faith speaks.
The fourth thing is that when faith speaks and after you have spoken to the mountain-and by the way, a mountain can be anything; a mountain can be any hindrance that stands in your way — you address it and command it to move. When you do that, faith does not doubt. So, after you’ve spoken, don’t say, «Oh, I hope that it happens. I don’t know whether it will happen or not.» Once you have declared it out of your mouth, you have to stand strong, trusting God to make it come true for you. Faith, after it has spoken, does not doubt what has been said. Believe that God is able to take the words of your mouth and use them to work out His purposes.
The final thing we learn about faith is that faith receives from God. It says, «but believes that those things he says will be done; he will have whatever he says.» Now, saying and believing and receiving are not the same. Sometimes we walk in faith, but we are not able to receive by faith. Receiving by faith most of the time requires an action. You remember Jesus Christ would always tell people to do something out of faith, and we are going to talk a bit about that tomorrow. So, faith must learn to receive.
Let us pray. Please pray with me: Heavenly Father, there is no limit to what you can do. I command every mountain facing me to move now in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.