Living by faith means giving thanks to God in advance

Some people think the way to please God is through ritual. You repeat certain prayers and go through certain religious ceremonies and then God likes you. But that's not what the Bible says. Some folks think you please God by becoming real religious and you go to church and observe certain holy days or take communion, or you keep certain rules and regulations and if you do God will say, "You're OK, I like you." But that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says it is impossible to please God without one thing ... faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Heb. 11:6 If faith is this important then what in the world is it, what does it mean to live by faith? I believe when I don't see it. The Bible says that faith is being sure in your heart of what you do not see with your eyes. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Heb 11:1 Faith is visualizing the invisible. You see it with the eyes of your heart long before you see it with your natural eyes. Our problem is, we get this reversed. We say, "seeing is believing ... when I see it then I'll believe it." But God says, "Wrong! That's all backwards!" You believe it before you see it. I thank God in advance. Faith is not believing God can do something. Faith is not believing God will do something. Faith is believing God is doing something. God is doing something right now. God is working even though I don't see it, even though I don't understand it. God is working behind the scenes. He's moving the right pieces into place. So, you thank God in advance. Jesus said, "So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you." Mark 11:24. If you wait until you receive it physically before you thank God, is that really faith? No, that's gratitude. Real faith thanks God in advance. Anybody can thank God when it's right in front of you, but real faith thanks God in advance. Ray Dare is the founding pastor of North Valley Church, serving Roseville and Antelope.