Q.
What if God is calling someone to return to Him with all their heart Joel 2, Malachi 3:7 and other verses but this person is struggling to have faith when they pray. The Lord shows me that love
of the world and a heart going after idols Ezekiel 11:21 are a problem. But I struggle to have faith and be the good ground, to turn (and I have prayed turn us Lord and we shall be turned). Each time I try to pray and ask for forgiveness I can tell I’m not having faith and I don’t know what to do to return to the Lord with all my heart.
A.
Thank you for your honest question. I’m sure others have felt the same at times.
The key to faith is the object of faith, not the subject of faith. It seems, based on your description, you may be looking for faith in the wrong place, perhaps how you feel, and thus “I can tell I’m not having faith.” We are the subject of faith, that is, we are the ones who are to exercise faith. But the key to faith is not us. Bless the Lord! The key to faith is the object of faith—Jesus, based on His sure Word.
We must simply be “Looking unto Jesus.” He then is the “author” of faith in our hearts (Heb. 12:2). God-dependence always follows God-focus. Faith comes by hearing the Author speak His word to our hearts (Rom. 10:17). When God speaks, then we must take God at His Word.
If God is calling you to return to Him, then you may respond with confidence (regardless of how you feel on the soul level) that if you return to God, He will return to you.
An effective intercessor once told me she learned that when she took God at His Word without feelings, it was more true faith than when she waited for feelings of faith, because that was really dependence on feelings.
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