Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

God moves through people of faith. But there are many obstacles that can get in the way of your faith and limit what God can do in your life. The first obstacle is unbelief. When Jesus went back to His hometown, the unbelief of the people limited His ministry. Mark 6:5-6 tells us, He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Many people believe that whatever God wants to happen will happen, but the Bible tells us that your faith affects how God is able to move in your life.

The second is tradition. When you get stuck trusting in the traditions of people, culture, and history, you forget to put all your faith in the Word of God. He does not move based on your ability to say the right words in your prayers, and He is not limited by your routine. In Mark 7:13 Jesus said, “…making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.” Trusting in tradition can limit what God wants to do when He does not move within your routine or expectation.

The third obstacle to your faith can come from your heart. You build faith by sowing God’s Word, but there is another knocking at the door of your heart. The enemy looks to destroy you by feeding you lies, condemnation, and fear. When you begin to believe the lies of the enemy, your faith will shrivel and limit your expectation of God. Philemon 1:6 says, …that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Too many Christians never acknowledge who they are in Christ or learn their identity and power in Him. Do not allow those lies to grow in your heart, but instead nurture what God says about you. You are redeemed, justified, and qualified in faith!

Testimonies build expectation, and our level of expectation determines how much we can receive from God. Revelation 19:10 says, …For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Your faith becomes stronger as you hear and see how God is moving. What God has done before, He wants to do again! Take care not to allow doubt or unbelief to limit what God wants to do in your life!