Practical Steps on How To Have Faith

Having faith is the one thing a person must do to be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9) and remain righteous before God (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:1-8). As a consequence, it is important that you counter distractions and discouragements, and ensure that you perform this critical exercise regularly.

The following contains information on how you can have faith effectively, so that you may, among other things, counter discouragements you may have while trying to pursue it. (Remember, per Christ in Mark 11:22-24, having faith is the practice of: saying what you want and believing that it will happen, or asking God for what you want, and believing you will receive it.)

1) Do not worry about anything you may have done wrong, and God not listening to your request because of it. It is the act of having faith which causes God to consider you blameless (Romans 3:28), not any confession you may do. Confession is just a formality.

2) Be comfortable and relaxed while you are praying. Ultimately the only thing God cares about is that you pray by saying what you want and believing it will happen, or asking Him for what you want believing you will receive it. How ever you pray beyond this is incidental.

3) Say the words of your request using your lips either quietly or loudly, while believing what you say or ask for will come to bear. (If you are in a situation where this is not easy to do, or you would just plain rather not do so: you can alternately pray in your mind.)

4) If it seems difficult for you to believe that you will receive what you ask for, do not worry about it. Just do the best you can.

5) If it seems as if you cannot believe that you will receive what you ask for, do not worry about it. Continue praying. Per Mark 11:23, what matters is that you believe in your heart - not so much in your mind. This means that what matters is that you want to believe you will receive what you ask for. (Even if it seems as if you don't want to believe that you will receive what you ask for, or that you don't even want what you asking for, continue praying. Your overall behavior of asking, particularly in a persistent manner [see next step below], bears evidence of your true belief and want.)

6) Persist at asking God for what you want until you receive it. This may take several minutes or hours of praying, over the course of several days.

Please note: different things require different amounts of faith to see them realized. (This is suggested in Matthew 17:19-21 where Christ said to His disciples that their faith was too small for them to do the things they wanted to do, and they needed to increase their faith by doing a lot of praying.) Therefore to obtain something via faith that is relatively small, you may need to do only a fairly small amount of praying to generate the amount of faith needed to obtain it. However, as you pray for bigger things that require larger amounts of faith to see them realized, you may have to pray longer and longer, to generate the necessary faith needed to acquire them.

7) It is highly recommended that you pray by repeating one or more sentences containing your requests, and that you make this fundamental to your praying. This will make your prayers many, many more times effective, and will help ensure that you meet the minimum threshold for having faith, necessary to keep your relationship with God sound. E.g. you can repeat for several minutes in a prayer, the sentence, "Father, please let me find a new job." You can do this for several days until the thing you ask for comes to bear.

8) Please read here for how you can further maximize the effectiveness of your prayers.

9) While praying / having faith, do not rationalize whether you should have it. Just have it. Rationalizing whether you should have faith while having it, provides a foothold for doubt undermining your effort.

10) Please read here for very important information regarding praising God, or doing things other than saying what you want and believing that it will happen, or asking God for what you want, and believing you will receive it, while practicing having faith.

(This link provides information that forms the basis of some of the recommendations above.)

The above instructions provide a sound foundation for you to pray / have faith effectively. Remember, having faith is paramount to a Christian's life, and is the genesis of everything godly in him/her, including: righteousness (Romans 3:28); wisdom (Galatians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, James 1:5-8); power (Mark 11:22-24, Mathew 17:19-21); and direction (Philippians 2:13). Therefore have faith, or pray as much as you are comfortable!

The Duality and Kingdom of God

The following scriptures indicate the duality nature of God:

John 17

20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Isaiah 9

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Gospel of Thomas

(I08) Jesus said: He who shall drink from my mouth shall become like me; I myself will become he, and the hidden thing shall be revealed to him.

Romans 3

29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

From the above scriptures, it can be seen that God is a type of duality. When you for example point to the Father, you not only point to Him, you point to everyone in Him at the same time. Therefore the Father is Himself an individual, but also everyone in Him at the same time - and both modes of being are inseparable. That is why when the Father (or any other God) says that besides Him there is no other God (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:35, 1 Kings 8:60, Isaiah 44:8), He is able to do so without suggesting other members of the God union be excluded. If the Father is Himself, as well as all those who are in Him at the same time, then when the Father says that besides Him there is no other God, He is by necessity talking about Himself, as well all those who are in Him. This double mode identity of God is seen particularly in Isaiah 9:6, where Christ is identified as Himself, as well as the (Wonderful) Counselor (who is the Holy Spirit - John 14:26) and the Everlasting Father. God's double mode identity is seen once more in the Gospel of Thomas verse 108, in which Christ says He will become anyone who has faith.

Generally when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, where when you point to one individual in the union, you by necessity point to all the other individuals in the union at the same time. (Alternately stated, when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, such that each individual in the union is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time.) Anyone outside of this union is not God. An important implication of all of this, in particular John 17:20-23, is the fact that those who have faith are members of the God union, and are hence God. Therefore someone who has faith, is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time, including God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is consistent with John 10:31-36 which indicates that those who have faith are gods, and 2 Peter 1:3-4 which indicates that those who have faith are partakers of God's divine nature. (Note: if someone who has faith is a god, but there is only one God, that person has to be God [i.e. be an individual God himself, as well as belong to the union of God].)

All of the above suggest that the kingdom of God is not just God's kingdom, but a kingdom filled with Gods. This is important because it allows you to see more clearly, the prize you will receive when you have faith correctly, and keep on having it no matter what. Salvation is not just an opportunity to live forever, it is an opportunity to become God!  (See here for more information on the Godhood of Man.)

Proof That John 10:31-36 Means That Someone Who Has Faith Is a 'god'

Note the following scriptures:

Psalm 82

1 God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods":
2 "How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 "They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'
7 But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."
8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

John 10

31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?
35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and the Scripture cannot be broken–
36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God's Son’?

Christ was referring to Psalm 82, when He said what He said in John 10:34-35. There are those who suggest that God was in Psalm 82, calling only the judges of Israel gods. In light of this, please look at the following scriptures:

Romans 2

28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 4

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

1 Corinthians 6

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!
Christ.

1 Corinthians 3

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"
20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."
21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Romans 2:28-29 indicates that someone is (in a spiritual sense) a Jew, if he is one inwardly. Romans 4:16-17 indicates that this takes place when that person has faith. 1 Corinthians 6:1-4 indicates that all those who have faith (who are spiritually Jews and hence make up the spiritual Israel) have an inheritance of judgeship. 1 Corinthians 3:21-22 goes a step further by indicating that not only do those who have faith now own all things in the present, they also now own all things in the future - which include their judgeships. (This means, at least to some extent, all those who have faith are now in possession of the judgeships they will inherit in the future.)

Therefore if we are to concede that Psalm 82 only refers to the judges of Israel, we would see that the scripture is none-the-less applicable to all those who have faith. (How exactly? Because all those who have faith make up the spiritual Israel; have an inheritance of judgeship; and also now own their inheritance of judgeship – meaning that they are already judges [at least to some extent].)

In addition, Christ in John 10:34-35, indicated that Psalm 82 was in fact referring to all those who have faith. How exactly? Because Christ effectively said in John 10:34-36, "Why do you say I blaspheme when it is written in your law, 'I have said you are gods’? If God called to whom the word of God came, 'gods', how much more God is the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?'' The fact of the matter is that Christ could not have reasonably said in the scripture that at the very least He was a god, if Psalm 82 was only applicable to the righteous judges officially established by (the physical nation) Israel: because Christ Himself was not such a judge. Therefore when Christ said in John 10:35, "If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came ...", He must have been referring to all righteous people who made up Israel - which Romans 2:28-29 and Romans 4:16-17 indicate spiritually include all those who have faith.

Finally, the following scripture provides added confirmation that when God called the righteous individuals in Israel gods in Psalm 82, He meant all those who have faith.

2 Corinthians 1

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes."
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

The above scripture indicates that all of God’s promises (which include those who make up [the spiritual] Israel being gods) apply to everyone. The only variation of God’s promises are in degrees and expression. E.g. everyone who has faith has an inheritance of kingship and priesthood – some will just have higher rankings than others in these areas. Some who have faith are predominantly teachers, while others who have faith are predominantly prophets: but despite all of this, everyone who has faith has the potential to display any gift he pleases.

One last thing, there are some who say that the title god, given by God to those He was addressing, had nothing to do with righteousness. However, doesn't Psalm 82:6-7 say that because of the Jews’ (or descendants’ of Abraham) unrighteousness, God would let them die like mere men, instead of holding them up as gods and His sons? Further, isn’t someone considered righteous because of his faith (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:1-8, Hebrews 11:6)? Doesn’t it follow therefore that if the Jews remained righteous (by continuing to have faith), God would have still considered them to be gods and His sons? Therefore it is seen for a person to be considered to be a god by God, that person must be righteous (by having faith - Romans 3:28). (See here for more information on the Godhood of Man.)

Proof That Those Who have Faith Are To Become Fully God

The following scripture shows up a very important fact: those who have faith are to fully enter the ranks of God in the new creation.

Book of Enoch 90

28 And I stood up to see till they folded up that old house; and carried off all the pillars, and all the beams and ornaments of the house were at the same time folded up with it, and they carried 29 it off and laid it in a place in the south of the land. And I saw till the Lord of the sheep brought a new house greater and loftier than that first, and set it up in the place of the first which had beer folded up: all its pillars were new, and its ornaments were new and larger than those of the first, the old one which He had taken away, and all the sheep were within it. 30 And I saw all the sheep which had been left, and all the beasts on the earth, and all the birds of the heaven, falling down and doing homage to those sheep and making petition to and obeying 31 them in every thing.

In as much as God only tolerates those who wear the title God being worshipped (this includes: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), from the above scripture, it is seen that those who have faith will actually become (fully) God - in light of the fact that God will allow others to worship them. (The scripture above corresponds to Revelation 21:1-2, 22-27.)

Note also the following reasoning:

John 10

31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and the Scripture cannot be broken– 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God's Son’?

The scripture above indicates that someone who has faith is a god. You may look at this fact any number of ways. However, whichever way you look at it: a god has to be God, since there is only one God (Romans 3:29-30, 1 Timothy 2:5).

In the scripture above, Christ was effectively saying to the Jews, “Why do you say that I blaspheme when the scripture itself says that those who have faith are God? How much more God is the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?” The above interpretation is the only one that makes sense. If Christ did not consider a god to be God (albeit of a lower rank in the Godhead), why did He bring up the point of those having faith being a god, when replying to the charge of claiming to be God? If being a god is not the same as God, how is it germane for Christ to bring up the point that someone who has faith is a god, while defending Himself from the charge of claiming to be God?

Please note the following scriptures:

Isaiah 9

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 17

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Christ is called the Father in Isaiah 9:6 because The Father is in Christ and The Father and Christ are one. It follows that because God is in us and we are one with God, we may be called God.

Please note the following scripture:

2 Peter 1

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

If someone who has faith participates in or partakes of (NASB translation) God’s divine nature, doesn’t that mean he behaves and have qualities like God? But what does the following scripture say?

Isaiah 25

18 To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?
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25 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Only God has God’s own qualities. It follows therefore if someone who has faith has God’s qualities, that person has to be God.

Please note the following scripture:

1 John 5

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

The scripture indicates that those who have faith are born of God. Does it not follow (as is confirmed in the scripture below) that just like a creature born of an owl is an owl, someone who is born of God is God?

Gospel of Philip

"A horse sires a horse, a man begets man, a god brings forth a god."

In fact, 1 John 5:18 indicates that we are born of God the same way Christ is born of God; and Romans 8:29 shows that we were predestined to be like Christ, who is to be the firstborn among many brothers.

The fact that someone who is born of God is actually God, is confirmed by the following scripture:

(RSV)

1 John 3

9 No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.

Similar to what was shown in the section above, if someone who is born of God has God’s nature in him, that person behaves and haves qualities like God. Given the fact that only God has God's own qualities (Isaiah 25:18, 25-26), it follows that someone who is born of God (who has God's own qualities in him) has to be God.

Do you realize that the kingdom of God is not so much God’s kingdom, as it is the kingdom whose members are God?

I could go on and on, but I believe you see that there is ample proof that those who have faith really are God, and are destined to become fully God, and share in Christ’s glory (John 17:22) in the new creation. (See here for more information on the Godhood of Man.)

Further Proof That Having Faith Correctly Is Given in Mark 11:22-24

In this blog entry, I showed how having faith (outlined by Christ in Mark 11:22-24) is: saying what you want, and believing it will happen, or asking God for what you want, and believing you will receive it. The following provides further proof, that having faith correctly is as indicated above.

The people in the scripture below were surprised to learn they were not saved. This was because they did not have faith in a way God considered valid.

Matthew 7

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

First, the people in the scripture above, directly believed and trusted that God would save them. (Why else did they call Him, 'Lord, Lord' as if they knew Him?) This indicates that directly believing and trusting God or in His salvation does not save anyone. (Remember also, Jews who do not have real faith do the same thing. They do directly believe and trust God, and that he will save them; and they also pray to God like Christians.) Second, the scripture above indicates that only those who bear good fruit are truly righteous, and suggests that they are the ones God will recognize as His in the end. In light of this fact, note that the following scripture indicates that it is when someone has faith consistent with Christ's instruction in Mark 11:22-24 (i.e. ask God for things [while believing he will receive them]), that he bears good fruit, and as a result, becomes righteous (resulting in him being seen by God as His in the end):

(NKJV)

John 15

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

The Bible appears to talk about various ways someone can be saved. Please note the following scriptures:

Ephesians 2

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Hebrews 11

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Romans 3

28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Romans 2

13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Matthew 2

541 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Mark 1

14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Romans 10

9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 3

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.”

Acts 2

21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Acts 16

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”

Mark 16

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The question is, can we abide by any one of the scriptures above, and ignore the others? The problem is that all of the scriptures above suggest that if we don't do what each of them says, we will not be saved. E.g. Romans 2:13 indicates that only those who obey the law are righteous, and Matthew 25:46 indicates that only the righteous will be saved. Therefore these two scriptures indicate that we must obey the law to be saved. Similarly, Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 11:6, and Romans 3:28 imply that if we don't have faith, we will not be saved. Also the rest of the scriptures imply that we must believe in Christ (John 3:16), and we must believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:14-15), and we must confess Christ and believe God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9), etc. in order to be saved. We therefore have no choice but do what all of these scriptures say we must do, in order to be saved! This means that if we try to directly believe in God, but do not obey His law, we will not be saved! This also means that if we obey God's law, but do not have faith, we will not be saved! (Remember, Hebrews 11:6 indicates it is impossible to please God without having faith.)

As it turns out, there is one single action we can do, that squares us away with the requirements stipulated by all of the scriptures above (and all other scriptures in the Bible). This action is having faith per Christ's instructions in Mark 11:22-24. When we have faith per Christ's instructions in Mark 11:22-24: we meet the requirements stipulated by Christ in Mark 11:22-24 on how we should have faith; we have faith in a manner consistent with Hebrews 11:1; we believe in the gospel; we confess and believe in Christ and that God raised Him from the dead; we become righteous (which means we follow God's commandments and the law - Romans 9:30); we bear fruit (John 15:7-8); we call unto God; etc.

So again, we come back to the fact that to have faith correctly, we must follow Christ's instruction on how to do so in Mark 11:22-24. Also we see that it is only when we do have faith correctly, that we meet the requirements of all scriptures, which indicate the path to salvation. 

(You may use this link to find out how you can have faith and gain results.)

How To Have Faith and Gain Results

Christ outlined what steps constitute having faith in the following scripture:

Mark 11

22 Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

To have faith, someone must say what he wants and believe that he will receive it, or ask God for what he wants and believe that he will receive it. In response to this fact, someone might ask the question, "How can I practically make (having) faith work for me?"

The following scripture indicates that different things require different amounts of faith to see them realized. While the disciples had faith large enough to perform certain miracles (which Christ gave to them in Matthew 10), it was not enough to drive the demon out of the boy. Christ then indicated to them, that for them to do what they wanted, and other great things using faith, they needed to increase their faith by doing a lot of praying.

Matthew 17

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,
15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
16 "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him."
17 And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."
18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?"
20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
21 ["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."]

Another important point about having faith, and deriving results from it, is that a person needs to persist at having faith until he receives what he asks for. This is supported by Matthew 15:21-28, where a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter, and kept on asking Christ until He finally granted her her wish - proclaiming that she had great faith. The following scripture also supports this fact:

Genesis 32

24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."
28 He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."
29 Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved."

Also see here.

Yet another important point about having faith, is someone asking God for the things he wants in a straightforward manner.

Matthew 6

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Also, notice when Christ had faith in the following scripture, He simply said what He wanted and believed that it would happen - the same as the instructions He gave in Mark 11:23:

Mark 11

12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry.
13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

The final point about having faith has to do with increasing it or doing great things with it. For someone to significantly increase his faith, he may pray in the manner outlined here – which includes a lot of praying. This is consistent with Matthew 17:19-21 and other scriptures, in which Christ effectively said that if you pray a lot, you can increase your faith and do great things with it.

Taking into consideration all of the above, when someone has faith, it is important that he does the following:

1) He must say what he wants and believe he will receive it, or ask God for what he wants and believe he will receive it (consistent with Christ's instructions in Mark 11:22-24 on how to have faith.)

2) He should pray in a straightforward manner (Matthew 6:6-8), and he must persist at it (Matthew 15:21-28, Genesis 32:24-32) until God grants him what he wants. (Actually the more someone prays over a matter, the more faith that person generates over the matter, until that person’s faith is enough to 'pay' for the thing he is asking God for. This is consistent with Matthew 17:21 and Revelation 3:18.)

Note: in general, someone may have to do a great, great deal of praying to see his request come true if it is very large. Note also, in many cases, when someone prays for something, that person will actually see what he is praying for come true more and more, gradually. (This often happens for example, when someone has a cold, and he prays for it to get better. It is an amazing thing to see!)

One important thing someone may also consider while praying / having faith - and it is highly recommended that that person do this, and make it a cornerstone of his praying: is repeating one or more sentences containing a request. (Note: when someone has faith by repeating one or more sentences containing his request, it makes his prayers many, many more times effective, and also helps ensure that he meets the minimum threshold for having faith, required to keep his relationship with God sound.) Therefore if someone would like to pray for something, that person may repeat one or more sentences specifying the thing or things he would like. For example, if someone were to repeat the sentence, "I will get a new job." (or alternately, "Father, let me get a new job.") for several minutes as a prayer, that person will find it to be extremely, extremely effective, as a means of obtaining what he wants.

Please read here for very important information regarding praising God, or someone doing things other than saying what he wants and believing that it will happen, or asking God for what he wants, and believing he will receive it, while practicing having faith.

Please read here for how you can further maximize the effectiveness of your prayers.

The above provides a very important foundation for being able to tangibly accomplish things by (having) faith. Remember, having faith effectively, is all about asking God for things while believing that you will receive them (Mark 11:22, 24), up to the point where you actually receive them. If you don't generate enough faith to 'pay' for the things you want, you unfortunately won't actually see them. That is why it is important to persist while praying for something (Matthew 17:21). You should note however, that there will be times when God will put you in situations that exceed your ordinary capacity to get out of them via faith - even after considerably long periods of praying. In those situations, you should still persist at praying in an attempt to get yourself out of them - until God eventually shows you a way out (if what you are praying for is extremely important to you). Remember, a relationship with God is all about having faith (Galatians 3:11). So no matter what happens, remember to always have faith - even if it does not seem you will be able to generate enough faith to obtain the things you want the most. (This is what God means when He says you should always be faithful [Revelation 2:10].)

Finally, when you practice having faith (the more you do it, the better, as far as you and God are concerned) you will notice strange side effects. People will start saying that you are nice, and you will scratch your head wondering why. As far as you are concerned, you are just acting normally. This is what Romans 9:30 means when it indicates that (having) faith leads to righteousness being seen in you. (You may use this link to see practical steps you may take, while having faith correctly.)

Having Faith Correctly

Given the fact that we are saved and kept righteous by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:1-8), it is paramount that we have faith correctly.

The following scripture indicates that having faith leads to righteous behavior being seen in a person - all on its own:

Romans 9

30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
33 As it is written:"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumbleand a rock that makes them fall,and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

The following scriptures indicate that unless a person’s faith leads to righteous behavior being seen in that person, then that person's faith is dead:

(NASB)

James 2

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

John 15

2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

Someone might therefore ask, how does a person have genuine faith, which in fact leads to righteous behavior being seen in that person? Please note the following.

Christ gave instructions on how someone should have faith, in the following scripture:

Mark 11

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.
13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." And His disciples heard it.
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20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 "And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
22 Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

More plainly, a person is supposed to have faith by saying what he wants and believing he will receive it, or asking God for what he wants and believing that he will receive it.

Christ does several things in the above scripture, including providing instructions for having faith via two methods. In verse 24, Christ just provides one method for having faith. In verse 23, Christ uses an example to illustrate another way someone can have faith, and to point out the great things someone can accomplish if that person manages to control his doubt and believing, while having faith. Finally Christ indicates the means by which He was able to make the fig tree wither: Christ said what He wanted, and believed it would happen.

The following scriptures back up Mark 11:22-24 as being God's instructions on how a person should have faith:

(NKJV)

John 15

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

(NIV)

James 1

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Romans 9

30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

John 15:7-8 indicates that asking God for things results in someone bearing the fruit of righteousness. James 1:5-8 (also Matthew 21:22) indicate that when someone asks God for something, that person must believe that he will receive it, in order to receive it. And Romans 9:30 indicates that (having) faith uniquely produces righteousness in a person. Therefore since asking God for things while believing that he will receive them causes someone to bear the fruit of righteousness, and (having) faith is what leads to righteousness being seen in a person; it follows that asking God for things while believing that he will receive them is actually having faith - the same as Christ's instructions on how someone should do so in Mark 11:22-24. Therefore when someone has faith using the methods described by Christ in Mark 11:22-24, that person bears the fruits of the Holy Spirit - attesting to the authenticity of that person's faith.

In addition, the following scripture supports Mark 11:22-24 as being God's instructions on how we should have faith:

Matthew 9

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";

In the scripture above, two blind men asked God for help, then believed that God would relieve them of their distress. God then acknowledged what they did was having faith, then granted them what they asked for.

Matthew 15:21-28 and Matthew 8:5-13 also give accounts of a woman and centurion respectively, who asked God for help, and believed that they would receive it. God in the scriptures acknowledged what they did as (having) great faith.

In addition to Christ in Mark 11: 12-14, 20-24 indicating the means by which He caused the fig tree to wither was by having faith (saying what He wanted and believing it would happen), the following scriptures provide other examples of God saying what He wanted and believing that it would happen, and these being identified as (having) faith.

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.

The above scriptures (Mark 11:22-24 in particular) therefore indicate that having faith is: saying what you want and believing you will receive it, or asking God for what you want and believing you will receive it. It is the above actions and only the above actions which constitute having faith, and it is my testimony that these actions actually cause your behavior to fundamentally improve - indicating further that the above exercises make up having real faith. (You may look here for further evidence that having faith correctly is outlined by Christ in Mark 11:22-24. You may use this link to find out how you can have faith and gain results.)