The 12 Riches of Life: The Capacity for Faith

The Sixth Form of True Wealth

The sixth type of riches identified by Napoleon Hill is

The Capacity for Faith

This comes immediately after the fifth type of wealth, Hope of Achievement, and that ordering matters. Hope and faith are related, but they are not the same thing—and they serve different purposes.

Hope is future-oriented. Faith is present-active.

Hope is the joy in a confident expectation of something good that lies ahead. Faith is what pulls that hope into the present moment and acts in accordance with it as though the outcome were already certain. And this is why faith cannot exist without direction. Faith must be in something—or in Someone. We do not have faith into a void.

That is why faith follows hope. Faith is delivered toward hope.

But notice Hill's wording carefully. He does not simply list "faith" as a type of wealth. He calls it The Capacity for Faith. And that distinction is critical.

Capacity, Not Perfection

We don't always begin with strong faith. Often, we begin with very little—just enough to take a first step.

The question is not whether we have perfect faith at the beginning, but whether we have the capacity for more. The capacity to set our confident expectation on something and pursue it fully, even when outcomes are not yet visible.

Faith is something that can grow.

Like a seed, it contains capacity within it—but only if it is planted, watered, and used.

What Faith Is Not

Before defining faith properly, it's important to clarify what it is not.

Faith is not the same thing as delusion.

Delusion occurs when faith is detached from the other riches—particularly a Labor of Love and an Open Mind on All Subjects. Without these, faith can become stubborn fantasy rather than grounded conviction.

Delusion asks no questions. Faith remains teachable.

A helpful test for distinguishing faith from delusion is pragmatic evidence. Ask:

If so, it is likely aligned with true hope. If not, it may require recalibration. And this is where an open mind becomes essential. Growth always requires humility, courage, and curiosity. When faith is lived out honestly, it produces feedback—data that allows refinement rather than denial.

Everyone encounters moments when reality doesn't fit neatly into their framework. Not everyone knows what to do with those moments. Faith paired with openness knows how to learn without collapsing.

Faith and Hope in Scripture

Scripture consistently presents faith as something directed toward hope.

The author of Hebrews defines it explicitly:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

(Hebrews 11:1)

Faith is not merely a feeling. It is assurance—conviction to such a degree that it causes us to act in ways we naturally would if the thing hoped for were already guaranteed.

Jesus teaches this same truth through metaphor and action:

"If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

(Matthew 17:20)

The power of the mustard seed metaphor is not just its smallness—but its capacity. A mustard seed is tiny, yet capable of becoming something much larger.

Faith begins small. But when nurtured, it grows.

Why the Disciples Failed—and Jesus Didn't

The context of Jesus' mustard seed teaching matters.

The disciples had just failed to perform a miracle that Jesus accomplished with ease. Confused, they asked why. Jesus' answer was direct and uncomfortable:

"Because of your little faith."

Mark's Gospel adds an important detail:

"This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

(Mark 9:29)

The disciples had been physically present with Jesus, but spiritually absent. While Jesus had been praying, they had been sleeping. Faith had not been cultivated.

This reveals something crucial: faith cannot be summoned on demand.

It cannot be manufactured in the moment. It cannot be reasoned into existence or mentally coerced. Faith is not knowledge. Knowledge belongs to the mind. Faith belongs to the heart.

And the heart is formed through communion.

Faith Is Grown Through Prayer

Prayer is not a transaction. It is communion.

Faith grows when the heart is repeatedly exposed to God's presence. Scripture says:

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

(Romans 10:17)

The Word of God is not merely information to be processed—it is truth to be received. It bypasses the mind and reshapes the heart.

This is why prayer is foundational to faith. It is the soil in which faith takes root. Without it, faith remains theoretical. With it, faith becomes transformative.

The apostles understood this when they asked Jesus:

"Increase our faith!"

And Jesus' response was telling:

"If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed…"

(Luke 17:5-6)

In other words: use what you already have. Faith does not need to be increased before it is exercised. It needs to be exercised in order to grow.

Faith Requires Action

Faith reaches maturity when belief and behavior align.

James puts it plainly:

"Faith without works is dead."

(James 2:26)

If someone claims to believe something, yet consistently acts as though it were untrue, that belief has not yet reached the heart. Faith matures when the whole person—mind, heart, and body—moves in the same direction. This completes the bridge.

Jesus reinforces this principle:

"Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

(Mark 11:24)

Faith assumes reception before evidence appears.

But again, prayer remains central. Faith is not belief in belief. Faith is trust in God. Faith is the conduit—not the source of power itself.

Faith as Conduit, Not Power

Faith does not generate outcomes on its own. It is the bridge through which God's power moves.

We do not have faith in faith. We have faith in God.

Jesus summarizes this beautifully:

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

(John 15:7–8)

Abiding is communion. Communion reshapes the heart. A reshaped heart increases capacity for faith. And faith, when acted upon, brings heaven's directives into earthly reality.

Faith and the Pursuit of Purpose

When applied to life's work—our Definiteness of Purpose—faith becomes indispensable.

Every meaningful pursuit contains a moment known as the dip. This describes the painful stretch where early progress stalls and quitting becomes tempting. This dip separates those who persist and lay hold of the treasure from those who turn back and do not.

Persistence requires faith.

You cannot persist toward something you do not believe is real before it exists. Everything ever created—every business, work of art, movement, or calling—was first held as a vision, pursued through uncertainty, and sustained by faith.