Faith is not sustained by effort. It is sustained by relationship.
When intimacy is missing, faith doesn’t disappear, it deteriorates into routine. It may still speak Christian language, but it no longer carries spiritual power and does not produce any tangible result.
True biblical faith is not mechanical. Mechanical faith is rooted on religious obligation and performance. It is disconnected from relationship with Jesus Christ.
Sadly, this is where many believers operate. Hence, they wonder why their lives are not reflecting God’s goodness or fulfilment of His promises.
It shouldn’t be so.
In this season where God wants to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, the Lord invites us into a deeper relationship with Him, where faith is cultivated, nurtured and strengthened.
When Faith Loses Love, It Loses Power
In Galatians 5:6, Apostle Paul establishes the powerful principle and basis upon which faith operates.
“Faith works by love.”
If your faith in Christ is not rooted in love, it becomes purely mechanical. Love is the basis for a genuine intimate relationship with Christ.
The Bible says, He that comes to God must believe that He is… Hebrews 11:6
This is not the casual kind of belief. It is faith that is based on intimacy — knowing and coming to love and trust God for who He is beyond what He does.
The faith that works by love is ignited and sustained by personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. The moment love for God grows cold, faith becomes mechanical.
Many people just profess love for God. They relate with him based on what He can give or do for them. In such moments, when they don’t experience those things, they turn their backs on God.
They abandon their Bibles, discard their beliefs when challenges arise and even join to curse God…it is a sad reality in our time.
The simple reason is that a lot of people are not grounded in their relationship with God. They don’t know who God is, so they don’t know His character especially in the seasons of trials and temptations.
Such kind of faith is not only mechanical, it is absolutely transactional and doesn’t yield any potent result.
True Faith is Formed in Fellowship
In Psalm 23, David paints a picture of the kind of faith that abides and capable of producing results in all seasons.
David didn’t just mechanically confess The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…
Through his wilderness wanderings and tending of his father’s sheep, David got a glimpse of the Father’s love. He saw how his sheep were desperately dependent on him for provision, protection, guidance and leadership. He was a good shepherd in that He also cared for those sheep passionately.
Over time, those sheep became his treasured possessions and they developed confidence in him. The epitome of his care was shown when He fought a wolf and a bear to rescue his sheep. (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
That was not a casual relationship. It is on the strength of such intimacy, that faith is birthed and sustained.
David was a type of Christ. He showed how Jesus cares deeply for his sheep. And the Bible makes it clear that we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).
When Jesus came, He echoed the same thoughts as David, presenting Himself as that good shepherd which David described.
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own — John 10:14
Jesus sets the precedence here — true faith can only be formed in fellowship.
In the agrarian culture of Judea:
- Shepherds lived among their sheep
- Sheep were led by voice, not force
- Relationship preceded direction
A sheep followed not because it was driven, but because it was familiar.
This is deeply prophetic.
Guidance flows naturally from intimacy. Confusion thrives where distance exists.
It is in the palace of intimacy that you get to know Him as the good shepherd, who cares deeply for you.
Without this kind of relationship, you will continue to struggle to experience the fullness of his love and power.
You are Vulnerable Without His Presence
When the sheep strays from the fold, it becomes vulnerable to predators. Because of its feeble nature, it is defenceless and often at the mercy of harsh conditions.
This is the picture of what happens when a believer lacks intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
By nature, a sheep is submissive. This is the kind of attitude that the Lord expects from you.
As many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God.
You must be willing to submit and be led by the Holy Spirit. As you continue to surrender to His will, faith is birthed and sustained naturally in His presence.
But when you are without his presence, you become vulnerable and susceptible to all kinds of demonic attacks.
The Lord is calling you to that place of submission — in His presence where His protection, provision, love and guidance flows.
Many believers are not struggling with faith. They are struggling with distance from God.
You cannot trust a voice you barely listen to. You cannot follow a shepherd you rarely stay with.
Faith grows strongest closest to God and diminishes when you are farthest from His presence.
Exceeding Abundantly — The Reward of Relational Faith
God wants to do great things in your life. He wants to prove Himself faithful and mighty. He desires to transform your life and situation.
But as we have seen, it is not possible without intimacy. He is calling you to experience a deeper relationship with Him.
The outcomes of the faith built on intimacy is massive. David described the entire outcome of that kind of relationship in Psalm 23.
In Ephesians 3:20, Apostle Paul also paints a better picture.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
God doesn’t just want to give you your heart’s desires — He wants to exceed your expectations.
Intimacy with God breaks every limit in your life. You experience the outpouring of his exceeding great power.
The choice is yours.
Will you continue to operate with the transactional, perfunctory religious faith or will you allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate God’s love in your heart?
When love becomes your primary pursuit, intimacy grows, faith is strengthened and you begin to experience His EXCEEDING ABUNDANT goodness.
Return to His presence today.
