The following is an excerpt from the first day of “Faith That Overcomes,” an IFA devotional series adapted from the teachings of Derek Prince. Click here to download the devotional, or follow the ad below!

You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:5 TPT).

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We are in what the Bible calls perilous times. That’s just a fancy word that means risky, dangerous, unsafe, difficult, and uncertain. All of these words describe where we are now as a nation. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow. What I love about the verse from 1 John is the way that letter addresses the Church. It says that every child of God overcomes the world. It says that we are overcomers! Sometimes when things aren’t as predictable as we might like, we lose this focus. The second part of the verse says that our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. Don’t you love that? My faith! Your faith is a victorious power that triumphs over the world! I need that simple reminder that faith overcomes. Faith simplified is exactly this.

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead (Hebrews 11:1 TLB).

We can have confidence and assurance in who our God is. We can be certain that what we hope for is waiting for us. I just love that! That is the power of faith. It overcomes fear. It overcomes unbelief. It overcomes impossible odds. It is such an important topic that, when the book of Hebrews was written, an entire chapter was included on men and women of the faith as examples for us. I’ve sometimes heard it called the Hall of Faith. I’m no theologian by any means, so what I say is up for debate, and I’m OK with that. These are my personal thoughts on the Hall of Faith: I believe it’s still being recorded in heaven. I believe that when we face impossible odds and stand in faith, believing in the Lord’s promises, it is recorded how we overcome them. 

Now, if you’re wondering where I got this idea, I will explain. I love all of the Bible, but one of my favorites of its books is The Acts of the Apostles. Many years ago when studying Acts, I found out something that blew my mind. When you come to the end of Acts, there’s no conclusive ending, as there is with the gospels or any other book in the Bible. We find out that Paul was living in Rome for two years in his own rented house, although he was under house arrest, and thus confined as a criminal. The book ends suddenly. Why was there no “closure”? Many theologians believe the book of Acts is unfinished on purpose. In the words of Christian author Ray Stedman:  “The Holy Spirit intended it to be unfinished; it is still being written.” 

The book of Acts was about the acts of the disciples through the work of the Holy Spirit. We are still in the Church age. We are still His Ekklesia, doing His work. We picked up where they left off, and we will continue until the Lord returns. That’s why the book of Acts is still being written. This is why I believe the Hall of Faith is still being built. I believe that when we face seemingly impossible situations and overcome them, we are recorded as modern-day heroes and heroines of faith. 

This devotional series will focus on people from Hebrews 11 who stood in faith when all the odds were against them. They were confident in the God they believed. Their names are recorded as examples for us. Whatever you are facing today, let faith overcome it. Is it a bad health report? Are there broken family relations that look beyond repair? Are you in need of a major breakthrough? Are you worried about the future of this nation? Then let us use our gift of faith. We have all received a measure of faith from God. 

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27).

How are you praying for faith? Share this article to encourage others to be faithful!

Author Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor to listen to her podcast Something To Share. Photo Credit: Patrick Fore on Unsplash.