When people stop and stare at a dollar bill, they believe and have faith that they can buy $1 worth of something with an ordinary piece of paper and ink. Because the INTEGRITY of the US Treasury backs up the $1 bill, it is accepted as legal tender. So as long as the merchants recognize the US government, then the dollar will be accepted in trade. So people all day long spend money without thinking about the INTEGRITY necessary to get food. Thus, their faith is in the $1 and subconsciencely in the INTEGRITY of the US Treasury and government.
So get this, our nonbelievers have more faith in their government $1 bill than you have in your GOD. Although people pass currency all day long buying gas, food, clothes, whatever, they do it in complete confidence that the dollar will be accepted. However, when we turn to God with a prayer request, we often have doubts or fears that lead us to believe that God does not want to answer us. So the most powerful being in the universe, who’s very nature is integrity we will not full trust in to provide our needs.
You see, faith is tied to integrity when you believe in WHO GOD IS, not what is in it for you. That give to get mentality we have over the $1 bill is polluting the true basis of faith in the integrity of God’s ability to answer prayers.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” In other words, believe in what you cannot see. To do this, you must believe that the person who is going to answer your prayer is capable to do what you ask. That your prayer is resting in the integrity of God’s nature to care for you. Since his name is Jehoviah Jirah, or our provider, God will take care of you.
Trust and faith are dependant on the integrity of the person who is to perform the miracle. Ok, one more example, lets say you want to be healed of a physical ailment. You go to the doctor and he prescribes medicine to heal you. You put your faith in the doctor and the advances of modern medicine to cure you. After a weeks time, your healed. You just placed your faith in the integrity of the doctor’s education and knowledge to diagnose your symptoms and render a solution, thus a prescription for medicine. Now what if you go to a farmer and asked him to determine what is wrong with you, would you get better? No because you believe the farmer does not know anything.
Lets go back to God, How many people were raised from the dead by modern science after they had been dead by more than 2 days? Ok what about God in the bible? Jesus Christ, Lazarus (John 11:1), Eutyclus (Acts 20:9), dead israelite who touched Elisa (1 Kings), The army of dried bones (Ezekiel 37). So tell me who is really in control here? God can do all things and make all things new including dried bones of a whole army of men. You see the faith necessary to raise a whole army of dried bones was found in Ezekiel 37:3 “3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” It was the belief that God is who he said He is. God’s integrity and provisions to Ezekiel left him faithful that God alone knows.
If you wonder if God is faithful and trustworthy, look at the name He chose to give Moses and the Israelites when their faith was weak, I AM who I AM. Exodus 3:14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 “God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” GOd said remember me as I AM based on His grace and mercies to Abraham, Isaiac and Jacob.
Integrity is definitely tied to faith and without integrity you can not truly believe in your prayer’s answer until you trust in God’s integrity.
