"Lord, I Already Believe" — Reset and Renew Your Faith Foundation

Stephan Kirby - Ekklesia
11 hours ago
7 min read

Grace and Peace Ekklesia

As we begin this 21-day journey, we anchor ourselves not in what we lack, but in what we already know to be true: God is faithful, His promises are sure, and our faith—though tested—stands firm.

Mark 9:24 "The father instantly cried out, 'I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!'"

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see."

Psalm 103:2 (NLT) "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

Joel 2:12-13 (NLT) "That is why the Lord says, 'Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love."

In Mark 9, a desperate father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus after the disciples failed to deliver him. The boy had suffered since childhood—thrown into fire and water by an evil spirit that sought to destroy him. When Jesus challenged the father's faith with the statement, "Anything is possible if a person believes," the man responded with raw, gut-level honesty: "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"

This wasn't doubt. This was desperation meeting divinity.

The father didn't deny his faith—he owned it while confessing the battle within. In ancient Jewish culture, admitting weakness or uncertainty before a rabbi was vulnerable and counter-cultural. Religious leaders expected unwavering confidence, not honest confession. Yet this father understood something profound that many religious people miss: faith is not the absence of struggle; it's trust anchored in the presence of struggle.

The Greek word for "believe" here is pisteuō—meaning to be persuaded, to place confidence in, to trust completely. The father was saying, "I am persuaded. I am convinced of who You are. But I need Your strength to sustain what I know to be true when everything around me screams otherwise."

And Jesus? He didn't rebuke the man's honesty. He honored it by healing his son.

Welcome to Day 1 of the Exodus 21-Day Fast.

You're not here by accident. You're here because something in your spirit said, "I need more of God. I need breakthrough. I need renewal. I need reset."

Maybe you've been believing God for something for months—even years. Maybe you've prayed, declared, stood on Scripture, and done everything "right," but the manifestation still feels distant. Maybe you're coming into this fast with hope, but also with weariness. With expectation, but also with questions.

And that's okay.

Because today, we're not starting from a place of spiritual deficit. We're starting from a place of established faith. You're not here to find faith—you're here to renew the faith you already have.

This is Day 1, and the enemy wants you to think you're starting from zero. He wants you to believe that because the breakthrough hasn't come yet, your faith must be insufficient. He wants you to question whether God really heard you, whether His promises are really true, whether you're really worthy of what you've been asking for.

But today, you silence that lie with truth:

"Lord, I already believe."

Not because you've arrived. Not because you're perfect. Not because the breakthrough is visible yet. But because:

You've tasted His goodness before
You've seen Him come through in impossible situations
You know His character, even when you can't see His hand
You trust His heart, even when you don't understand His timing

This is not blind faith. This is battle-tested faith. Faith forged in the fires of delay, disappointment, and difficulty—and still standing.

Faith that says:

"I already believe You're faithful—help me stand when I grow weary"
"I already believe You keep Your promises—help me trust Your timing"
"I already believe You're working—help me see past what I feel"
"I already believe You hear me—help me wait with confidence, not anxiety"

This 21-day fast is not about convincing God to move. It's about positioning yourself to receive what He's already prepared.

Faith doesn't mean you don't wrestle. Faith means you wrestle with God, not against Him. You wrestle like Jacob—refusing to let go until blessing comes. You wrestle like the father in Mark 9—honest about your struggle, but anchored in your belief.

This is the reset. This is the renewal. You're not starting over—you're building on a foundation that's already solid.

The Israelites fasted for deliverance. David fasted for breakthrough. Esther fasted for intervention. Daniel fasted for revelation. Jesus fasted before ministry.

And you? You're fasting for the fullness of what God has already spoken over your life.

Faith is not perfection. Faith is position—standing on what you already know to be true about God, even when circumstances try to convince you otherwise.

Over the next 21 days, you will be tempted to:

Measure God's love by your current circumstances
Judge His faithfulness by your feelings
Question His promises because the timeline doesn't match your expectation

Don't do it.

Instead, anchor yourself in this declaration: "Lord, I already believe."

Practical Steps for Day 1:

Remember His Faithfulness
Write down three specific times God came through for you. Speak them aloud. Let your past testimonies fuel your present trust. Post them somewhere you'll see them daily during this fast.
Declare Your Belief
Say it out loud right now:
"Lord, I already believe. I believe You are who You say You are. I believe Your Word is true. I believe You're working even now—even when I can't see it. Help my unbelief. Strengthen my trust. Renew my hope."
Reject Condemnation
The struggle to believe is not sin—it's humanity. God is not frustrated with your questions. He's honored by your honesty. Don't confuse wrestling with wavering. Jacob wrestled with God and was renamed Israel—"one who struggles with God." Your wrestling is not rebellion; it's relationship.
Set Your Expectation
What are you believing God for during these 21 days? Write it down. Not as a wish list, but as a faith agreement. Declare: "God, I'm not demanding. I'm not manipulating. I'm not performing. I'm simply positioning myself to receive what You've already promised."

If you're feeling weary in your faith, you're not weak—you're human. But don't let weariness turn into withdrawal. Don't let delay turn into doubt. Don't let the waiting season become a wandering season.

Stay anchored. Stay engaged. Stay in the room with Jesus.

Invitation to Repentance:

If you've been living in doubt disguised as discernment, repent.If you've let past disappointments harden your heart toward God's future promises, repent.If you've been more focused on what you don't have than on what God has already done, repent.

Return to your first trust. Reset your expectation. Renew your hope.

This fast is not penance. It's partnership. God is inviting you into 21 days of alignment, clarity, breakthrough, and intimacy. Don't waste it on unbelief.

You already believe. Now live like it.

Let's Pray...

Father,

Here I am. Day 1. Not perfect. Not flawless. Not without questions. But here. Present. Willing. Believing.

I come before You today, not with perfect faith, but with honest faith. I believe, Lord. I believe You are good. I believe You are faithful. I believe Your promises over my life are yes and amen in Christ Jesus.

But I also confess—sometimes my heart gets weary. Sometimes my mind replays the delays. Sometimes I wonder if I heard You right. Sometimes I'm tempted to measure Your love by my circumstances instead of by the cross.

So today, I ask: help my unbelief. Strengthen what is weak. Renew what is weary. Remind me of who You've been, so I can trust who You are.

I already believe, Lord. I've seen You move mountains. I've watched You make a way where there was no way. I've experienced Your provision, Your protection, Your presence. I know You're faithful.

Now help me walk like it. Live like it. Speak like it. Stand like it.

These 21 days are not about earning Your favor—I already have it through Jesus. These 21 days are about positioning my heart, aligning my spirit, and opening my hands to receive everything You've already prepared.

Reset my heart. Renew my mind. Refresh my spirit. Realign my vision. Restore my hope.

I'm not starting over—I'm building higher on the foundation You've already laid.

I trust You, Lord. Even when I'm tired. Even when it's hard. Even when I don't understand.

You are faithful. Your Word is true. Your promises stand. And I already believe.

In the mighty name of Jesus, my anchor, my hope, my breakthrough,Amen.

If today's word stirred something in your spirit, don't let it end here.

This isn't just about a daily devotional. This is about daily discipleship. Jesus isn't calling you to consume content—He's calling you to walk with Him, grow with Him, and be transformed by Him.

The Exodus 21-Day Fast is not just a spiritual discipline—it's a discipleship journey. And at Ekklesia Christian Life Ministries, we don't do spiritual entertainment. We do spiritual formation. We're a community of believers who are healing while leading, growing while serving, and believing while becoming.

Over these 21 days, you'll be challenged, stretched, convicted, and renewed. But you won't do it alone.

If you're ready to: