Phil,

Perhaps the answer is that God takes note of our faith, when we speak in
union with His Word.  I have a thought to add, though it's probably part of
the thought about His Word:  In the first chapter of John, it says, "In the
beginning was the Word, and The Word Was with God, and The Word was God.
the Same was in the beginning with God."  so, since Jesus is the same as His
Word, there is no escape from declaring that He Himself is our Faith!  And
here is another that He showed me:  If we speak in union with Jesus, (His
Word), we have the same creative power that He has that created the world,
and that also raised Him from the Dead!  We might think this is a dangerous
thought, but, if we speak in this union, whatever is spoken will always be
His Will.  There is no way that we can abuse this power!  Want some evidence
of the availability of this ResurrectionPower?  Read Ephesians 1:15 to end
of Chapter!  And yet another piece of this picture:  Jesus said, "And you
shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free.  When Christ
reveals His Word, (Himself), to us, and we see and accept Him, which
includes what He says, then our faith is "activated," because we speak as
one, each of us in Him, and He in us!  this must be the meaning of the
concept expressed in Romans 10:17!  Something to sleep on tonight.

Sharon