Faith = belief in what’s unseen by everyone else

The gift of faith is more than just belief— it is a knowing. The gift of faith envelops a person like a blanket, leaving little-to-no room for doubt. It carries an authority that gives that gifted person an unshakable confidence that God is moving— and, it will create faith in others who are nearby.

We see the gift of faith operating in the apostles— a lot. When Peter “skips the prayer” and simply commands the lame man to “rise and walk,”  we witness the gift of faith in action (Acts 3:6).

Where do we see the gift of faith today?

• When new church planters move to yet-to-be-built neighborhoods and launch new start-ups which grow exponentially, we may be watching the gift of faith in action. 
• When we see entrepreneurs receive vision for a new business idea— one they launch with ultra-success— we might also be watching the gift of faith in real time.

I intentionally included a “church” example and a non-church example above. Again, the spiritual gifts aren’t confined to the four walls of the building. Arguably, an entrepreneur with a multi-million dollar business has a greater reach and larger base of influence than many pastors. And, notice, the gift of faith might be tied to a specific event (“God will see you through this specific situation”) or it may exhibit itself as a longer-term project or venture.

Note: the gift of faith and the gift of discernment are similar.

Here’s how I understand the difference (click the link below to learn more about discernment and how the two compare).

For more on faith see also Acts 11:22-24, Romans 4:18-21, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11.