But if Jesus did the works as a man anointed by the Holy Ghost, then certainly under the
inspiration and anointing of the Holy Ghost, believers could do the same thing.
While the raging storm swept the sea and threatened the safe journey of the disciples to the
other side of the lake, Jesus was asleep in the hinder part of the boat (Mark 4:38). He wasn't
bothered by the storm. And while the lions roamed about in the den, Daniel lay down and slept
in the face of danger in perfect peace and calm assurance. Why? Because Jesus and Daniel
each possessed a faith beyond the simple general faith every believer can have through
hearing the Word.
Throughout the Bible we see how the gift of faith worked primarily for people who were in
danger. And through this gift of the Spirit, they possessed a calmness and quiet assurance that
was supernatural.
The working of miracles employs faith that actively works a miracle. But the gift of faith
employs faith that passively expects a miracle as a sustained or continuous action. That
means when it is necessary, there is a duration to the gift of special faith — it is ongoing in its
action.
When the gift of faith is in operation, it may be that nothing is seen at the time to confirm that
the person has his answer. Therefore, special faith may carry over a long period of time and be
sustained or continued in its action of passively receiving a miracle.
For example, it was by the gift of faith that the patriarchs of old would lay hands on their
children and pronounce a blessing or curse on them which would sometimes come to pass
many years later. We see this in the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the gift of
faith in operation. By supernatural faith, special faith in operation, these patriarchs believed
that what they said would come to pass, even if it took many years.
The gift of faith is a divine gift or enabling by the Spirit of God that causes what is spoken or
desired by man, or spoken by God to ultimately come to pass. The human or divine miracle,
utterance, certainty, cursing or benefit, creation or destruction, removal or change, will
eventually come to pass when it has been spoken under the inspiration of this gift of special
faith.
Wigglesworth and the Gift of Faith
Smith Wigglesworth said that if you will take a step of ordinary faith, when you come to the end
of that faith, very often this supernatural gift of special faith will take over. One reason more
folks don't see the manifestation of special faith operating in their lives is that they don't first
use what faith they already have.
Under Wigglesworth's ministry, at least three different people were raised from the dead, and
there were probably many more. One instance of a person who was raised from the dead was
a man named Mr. Mitchell whom Wigglesworth personally knew.
One day when coming home from an open-air meeting, Wigglesworth learned that his wife,
Polly, was at Mr. Mitchell's house. The day before when Wigglesworth had visited Mitchell, the
sick man had been close to death.