How to Have Great Faith – A Powerful Teaching from Jason Mayfield

In this video, Pastor Jason Mayfield dives deep into the story of the centurion in Luke 7:2-9 to uncover what it really means to have great faith. Spoiler alert: it’s not about twisting God’s arm, stacking up religious brownie points, or pretending to be something you’re not. Real faith—the kind that makes Jesus marvel—is about total dependence on His finished work, not our own efforts.

Faith That Moves Jesus

Pastor Mayfield starts by unpacking the centurion’s encounter with Jesus. This guy had every reason to flex his résumé—he even built the Jews a synagogue—but when he needed a miracle, he didn’t show up with a list of reasons why he deserved it. Instead, he sent messengers to say, “I’m not worthy, but I know You can do it.” And Jesus responded, “I haven’t found faith like this in all of Israel.”

That’s the kind of faith that moves mountains—the kind that trusts Jesus because He is good, not because we are.

Pretending Won’t Get You There

One of the biggest mistakes believers make is coming to Jesus as someone they’re not—as if God is fooled by fancy prayers and religious theatrics. Pastor Mayfield lays it down straight: God can’t bless the person you’re pretending to be. He’s not impressed by performance—He responds to authentic trust in Him.

How do we fake it?

• We pray vague, noncommittal prayers that are impossible to measure.

• We act like we’re super-spiritual, overemphasizing minor religious works.

• We try to “clean ourselves up” before coming to God, as if we can earn access to Him.

Meanwhile, the centurion did the exact opposite. He admitted, “I’m not worthy,” and yet he still asked for the impossible. That’s faith.

Faith Over Performance

Pastor Mayfield makes it clear: your effort won’t produce the impossible—faith will. No matter how much you read your Bible, pray, or serve at church, none of it qualifies you for supernatural results. The law has already declared everyone unworthy, but Jesus is always worthy. And when you put your trust in Him instead of yourself, you can make a supernatural demand on His power.

Pray for What You Actually Want

Here’s where it gets real. A lot of people pray for things they think they should pray for—things that sound super virtuous but don’t actually stir up faith. But in Luke 7, the centurion wasn’t trying to impress anyone. His request wasn’t even for a family member—it was for a servant who was valuable to his household. This was about finances and productivity, and Jesus still answered.

Pastor Mayfield makes it plain: God doesn’t just answer prayers that sound holy—He answers prayers that are real. If you need a breakthrough in your finances, pray for that. If you need a car, pray for that. Stop throwing up generic, “safe” prayers and start believing for specific, measurable results.

The Key to Great Faith

At the end of the day, great faith isn’t about striving—it’s about resting in Jesus’ finished work. The centurion didn’t base his request on his own worthiness; he based it on Jesus’ authority. And that’s what faith looks like: bringing your real needs to a real Jesus and trusting Him because He is good.

👉 Watch the full teaching now and let this word challenge you to step into a new level of faith!