Most Christians know that faith is an essential element in their walk with the Lord. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substances of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:6 continues on to say that without faith it is impossible to please God. Again the Bible says that the just shall live by faith (II Cor 5:7). So we see that faith is an essential element in living for God, but often many saints that have faith in God don't see the fruit of their faith manifested in their lives in the measure they had hoped for.
Even though faith is essential, the Bible also lets us understand that faith must be mixed with desire to receive the end result. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (Matt 5:6). Notice it doesn't say those that believe and have faith in righteousness, but those that hunger and thirst will be filled. Jesus was pointing out that there must be a desire coupled with faith in order to obtain the results. Jesus made a similar statement about receiving the Holy Ghost, "...If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37). When a person is thirsty enough, they put aside other needs, wants, and desires to satisfy the thirst.
The story of the woman with the issue of blood illustrates the desire to receive of God (Luke 8:43-48). Many people were touching Jesus, and there were doubtless others in the crowd who had faith, but the woman with the issue of blood not only had faith but a desire to press through until she had received what she believed for.
Let us look at one more example - the man with the legion of devils also found in Luke 8:26-40. Even though he was possessed with a legion of devils that made him cut himself, run naked, and act violently, those devils couldn't keep him from coming to Jesus when Jesus showed up. Why couldn't those devils keep this man - that they had driven out of society and were controlling his life - from coming to Jesus? The desire in the man along with his faith was greater than the power of those devils. The man coupled his desire to be free with faith and Jesus delivered him. We need to pray not only for faith but a desire to press through until we receive the promises that God has given us.
