What is a Faith that Pleases God?

Here's some food for thought. I believe in faith; I just don't believe in selfish faith. Like faith that seeks to get only what I want...

I was watching some old Oral Roberts sermons from his early teaching days and it got me thinking. He is the founder of the "Word of Faith" movement. But it made me think about what I have always considered to be the essentials of faith.

   Does God want us to have faith that He will do anything we ask for?  What does God want us to have faith about or in?

Hebrews 11 says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a]For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Charismatic teachers refer to this last verse all the time regarding faith, but what does it really mean? We are to have faith simply that God exists. That faith alone pleases God. And faith that God rewards us if we seek him. What rewards? Well for Abel here we see that was simply God looking with favor on his offering. For Enoch that was not dying a physical death.

Then going on in Hebrews, for Abraham the reward was his family being saved because he had the faith to build the ark. Abraham's reward was a new land to live in.  Sarah's reward for her faith was having a child in old age...

The point is that the reward is not always money or perfect health, as some teach.  Faith can simply give us peace of mind.  It can help us have hope in hard times etc.

Granted Mt. 21:21 does say, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

I don't think anyone can say they perfectly understand this verse.  No one has actually ever thrown a mountain in the ocean, so it was an overstatement that Jesus made.  The idea of this verse is that God CAN give us big things if we would just believe.  I have always felt we need to first, have faith that God exists, and then also that he wants what is best for us.  This is the faith that pleases God.  And when we ask for things we still must always submit to his will and ask humbly for things.  If we ask for something that would not be best for us, like winning the lottery and the money might cause us to forget about God, then he won't grant that prayer.

Overall the greatest power in faith is when we have faith that God can change our hearts. That he can take away our heart of stone that is uncaring and give us a soft loving heart that can love the whole world!

A truly changed and godly heart is more important than any miracle or sign or wonder, because it makes us more loving to others and love is the great commandment. Truly, humbly and selflessly loving others is the greatest thing we could ever do! Amen. So any prayer of faith that would make us a more loving person to others or would help us love God more, those are the faith prayers that please God the most. Our life goal should always begin and end with loving God with our whole heart and loving people. Amen. May God bless you all!