SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Gift of Faith ~ Part 4 ~ Faith and Prayer

This week we consider the relationship of the gift of FAITH in regard to PRAYER. Many scriptures in the Bible attest to the fact that we must have strong abiding faith when we pray to God. Jesus, himself, makes the connection between faith and prayer when He taught His disciples how to pray.

During the time when the disciples were with Jesus they often saw Jesus going off to deserted areas to pray by Himself. The Bible says that Jesus would go to a secluded place; a mountain or into the wilderness to be alone to have private talks with His Father. (Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12)

One day after Jesus had finished praying, one of the disciples came to Him and asked Him to teach them, also, how to pray.

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Jesus honored His disciple's request and taught them what to pray for and illustrated even further by showing them in what way they were to pray. He taught them by using a parable that showed how they were to diligently ask for, and to seek for the things of God; and like a good parent that gives (physical) good things to his children, their heavenly Father would do the same and provide good things to His children; implying not only the physical things they would need, but more importantly, the good spiritual things as well.

Jesus' instructions on prayer are also given in Matthew 6 which is a part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount wherein He taught the people about the deep spiritual things of God. His teachings that day were on how to live our day to day lives, not just in the letter of the law, but also in a new spiritual way, keeping all the laws of God from the very heart in all their spiritual INTENT as well (Matthew 5,6,7). One of the topics He expounded on that day was the subject of PRAYER, and this is what He taught in regard to how we are to pray; and how we are NOT to pray as the hypocrites and heathen do.  In all of our prayers to God we must have faith to believe He hears us and will answer us according to His perfect will for us. 

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The first thing Jesus tells us in His instructions about prayer, is that His disciples are not to pray as the hypocrites do, those who make a grandiose show of their praying and speaking great eloquent words, but not in sincerity to the Father, but only to impress those who are hearing them in public places where it is customary to have public prayer.

Often it is right and good to have public prayer when it is appropriate; at the beginning of meals, before services, to pray over people who are sick, etc.; it is just that the prayer must be sincere and must be focused on God and His attributes, genuinely petitioning God on the behalf of all that have gathered, to ask for His guidance, protection, and inspiration for the meeting. This should not be a time to give long, preachy, eloquent sounding prayers that bring attention to the one giving the prayer, but rather focusing the people on God at the start of a meeting or to give thanks on behalf of the people for the things that God is providing.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Jesus set the example of going off by himself to deserted areas to pray, and His prayers were just between God and Himself. He is instructing us to do the same. We don't need to let others know when we pray, how much we pray, or the private things we pray about; that is between God and ourselves. If we really do have faith, then we will believe that God is the only one that matters in knowing these things. And if we are spending much time in prayer, study, meditation, it will become evident in the fruits of our character because we are spending quiet prayer-filled time with God; we don't have to proclaim it from the rooftops.

1st Timothy 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Our reward will mainly be in our spiritual growth as we mature because of time spent with God in prayer, and because of that spiritual growth we will be able to help others, as well, by our example and also by our teaching. The reward will not be in the way of applause and/or accolades of men, but the kind of reward that is in knowing and serving God from the heart.

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Vain repetition refers to empty and meaningless repetition; it can even be songs that repeat the same things over and over that are not really saying anything. We do not have to repeat catch phrases or religious sounding words to get God's attention so that He will hear us even more than if we just intelligently state what is on our mind. This is what the unconverted do, those who are not called yet and who have adopted a vain form of worship and praise that is not based on obedience to God's laws and to the truth of the Bible. 

Jesus is telling us not to worship Him and His Father in the way the people of the world worship their false gods. Faith means that we believe that God is cognizant of every little detail of our lives and that He already knows what we need before we even ask. Even so, we are still to pray about those things because God wants us to communicate with Him about everything. We are to ask Him especially for the things that will help us to grow spiritually, and also to guide us to solve our problems and to give us the strength to endure our trials. We ask Him for these things with a sound mind and with sound speech, always giving Him thanks for the things that He has already done for us and with faith that He will lead us through whatever we are going through; in His way and in His time. 

Our prayer time can be as short or as long as it takes to say what we want to say and then get up and put the things to work that we have prayed for, in faith that now God is helping, guiding, strengthening us (just what we prayed for) to get on with the tasks for that day and to do it all to His glory.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Jesus teaches that we are to direct our prayers to "Our Father" acknowledging and believing that He is not only "my" Father, but is the Father of all those that make up the collective body of true believers. We give Him our respect and honor at the start of our prayer by declaring that He is FIRST as the head of Christ and that His NAME, representing all that he is, is righteous and holy: and IS above ALL names [all others] in heaven and earth.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

When we pray for God's Kingdom to come, we show that we desire what God wants not only in the future at Christ's return, but also in the present, that the Kingdom should be in us through our keeping of the laws of the Kingdom  and of  our doing His work on earth now in our lifetime; preparing His bride and getting her ready for that future Kingdom by calling, fashioning, molding those who respond, and then building His spiritual temple. 

We are to ask and seek that the laws of that Kingdom be written in our minds and hearts while we are still in these physical bodies. This is our time, that those who are being called, to do all we can now to develop the mind and character of God and may internalize the nature of the King and the laws of the Kingdom; and we can pray that we NOT waste this time on things that are trivial or things that take us away from developing our spiritual potential.  

God has called us to be kings and priests in the kingdom and it behooves us to pray that we become more educated in the ways and laws of God and to become more skilled and competent as we meet the challenges of everyday living. Our life in this present evil world, in essence, is training and grooming us to become good and righteous leaders, if we are yielding to God's correction and molding. 

We pray for God's WILL to be done on earth for that should be our heart's desire (just like it is the desire of the Father and His Son) and that everyone on earth would eventually want to live according to all the ways of God. Only then will this planet be liberated from evil men and from the wretchedness of living apart from God. And those of us who know the plan of God and His purpose for mankind yearn for that time when all men know the truth and live by it.

Jesus admonishes us to pray that the Father's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and in our praying for this to happen we show that our minds and hearts are attune to agreeing to all the ways of God and in the keeping of His commandments.  We desire to obey them as fully as we can and to develop and grow in the very character of God in our own lives while we are still here on the earth; just as God's government and His will is being administered in the heavenly courts of God among the Father, the Son and all the holy angels.

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

We are instructed that we are to ask our Heavenly Father for our genuine physical needs but this encompasses much more than just our physical bread! We are to ask for and to seek for our daily spiritual bread of His truth as well. This includes asking for ALL the things that we need to live for Him and to empower us to live according to His commandments without any compromising. 

It is good to be hard working and to earn our own wages so that we can purchase the things we and our family need; we are not to be lazy or negligent in our responsibilities; but we are to always put God first and then we can ask, in FAITH for the things we need for daily living, whether it be food, money to pay our bills, housing, good relationships, and all of our spiritual needs to live as Christ lived.

Further down in this same Chapter  Jesus teaches that we are to "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  Meaning that we are to seek to internalize the whole Word of God which is the constitution of the Kingdom of God! as well as that the Millennial Kingdom come in the future!

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Jesus tells us to pray for forgiveness, to examine ourselves and to acknowledge the things we need to ask God for forgiveness for, and then not only that, but when others offend us we must not hold any unforgiveness or bitter grudges toward anyone: just as our Father has forgiven and holds no grudges against us.

Jesus' sermon on the mount has much to say in regard to the subject of mercy and forgiveness.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This verse is very comforting for Jesus shows by His example prayer that we, can, in faith, ask that we be not led into temptation and that our Great and Holy God would deliver us from evil of any kind through His power and by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. 

This verse always reminds me of what Paul said in Colossians for those who are seeking to follow and obey God and who love Him and His laws. This is a wonderful promise and gives us faith, to not fear, but to trust that God will, and does, deliver us from the forces of darkness.
 

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

With God's help and by His great power, which is more POWERFUL than all the nuclear bombs on earth, we CAN be delivered by our Almighty Father who possesses the Kingdom and has all POWER and GLORY. His kingdom is here now, in a hidden way, in the preparation and in the grooming of His saints in all that God is doing in His spiritual temple; but we can also be reminded at the conclusion of our prayers, that God and His holy, righteous Kingdom will be here soon in all of its glorious MAGNIFICENCE and will BE forever and throughout eternity; and it can never be destroyed! 

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

The following verses speak of a specific promise given by Jesus about having faith when we pray in regard to asking with belief and total conviction that God will grant the things that we ask for.

The following verses speak of a specific promise given by Jesus about having faith when we pray.

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mark 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

We all know the prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night of His arrest and this is a perfect depiction of what faith in relation to prayer is about. Just before Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Jesus prayed to His Father about the dreadful situation that He was about to go through.

Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Yet, as we reflect back on the previous Scriptures that are quoted above, according to Christ's own teaching on prayer, it seems that He should have been able to request that His Father deliver Him and it would have been done according to what He asked. We all know that the Father did not take this cup of suffering away from Jesus and that the events that happened after this prayer were the very things that Jesus prayed that if it were possible to spare Him of. Even though Jesus prayed three times with great faith and though He poured His heart out to His Father in deep agony of spirit, the Father did not answer that part of His prayer.

In the previous quoted passages we saw how Jesus taught that we are to pray believing that we will receive what we ask for. Why didn't this work for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? How do we differentiate the seeming contradiction here? Why was praying in faith with much zeal and passion not enough to change God's mind? What happened to believing "you can have what you ask for and then receive it if you have enough faith?" If fervent, passionate praying in faith "did not work" for Jesus when He faced the agonizing prospect of suffering scourging and then dying on a cross, how will praying in faith ever work for us? Is there something missing in this equation? What can we learn from Christ's prayer that He prayed before His agonizing trial of being arrested, scourged, and crucified, and reconcile it to His own prior teachings in regard to prayer?

There is a very important principle that when we want to know about what a certain Scripture is teaching we must never take what it seems to be saying out of context, and we must put all the Scriptures that pertain to a certain subject matter together to get the clear, complete meaning. It is the same with this subject of prayer and faith. In some Scriptures it appears that Jesus is saying that we can ask and receive whatever we ask for. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24) On the other hand we see that Jesus prayed "let this cup pass from me...." (Matthew 26:38)

When Jesus prayed to the Father in the Garden, He was in great anguish, and in that anguish He first prayed that if it were possible for the cup of suffering to be taken away. But then immediately He added "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." And that is the key that unlocks the premise that when we pray for things we will receive those things but only if it is according to the will of the Father.

Throughout Jesus's ministry He proclaimed that He came from the Father and that He and His Father were ONE.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

At one point Jesus told Philip that if he had seen Jesus then he (Philip) had seen the Father.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

Not only are the Father and the Son ONE, but those whom the Father is calling are to be one with the Father and His Son as well, which means to be ONE by having the same mind, to think the same way about all things, and to have the same intent and purpose as they have pertaining to all things spiritual.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

In His prayer to His Father on the night of His arrest, Jesus displayed a mindset of faith by submitting to the will of His Father and not insisting on what He (Jesus) may have wanted in His human flesh. Even in His great anguish over what He knew was going to be done to Him in the coming hours and on into the next day, Jesus did not approach His Father as if His faith was a tool to be used in obtaining the outcome that He desired in that moment of prayer. 

Jesus' prayer showed how He had great faith in the goodness, wisdom, and love of His Heavenly Father and He trusted that no matter what, it was the will of the Father that must be done; it was not a matter of how much faith He could generate or how earnestly He prayed. 

Jesus had absolute faith that His Father's plan and purpose was going to be carried out that evening and on into the events of the next few days and that His Father's WILL involved the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. If His Father were to change His mind based on Jesus' prayer for deliverance, it would change everything that they both had planned from the foundation of the world. 

The plan from the beginning was that Jesus would willingly be the perfect sacrifice that would make a way for mankind to eventually be saved and to give each person who had ever lived the opportunity to repent, be forgiven and to become a member of the Family of God.

Jesus was, by His living and in His mind, in complete harmony with His Father's will. This kind of faith, exemplified by Jesus Christ in this prayer in the Garden, is essential when we, too, come before God in prayer. 

This kind of faith is in accordance to all the teachings of Jesus in regard to how we are to pray, whether He states it directly or by implication; that everything that we pray for must be in accordance with the Father's WILL, and the things we pray for are to be in line with what the Father purposes. Jesus completely and eloquently demonstrates this kind of faith to us with His own example that night in the Garden when He prayed to His Father; not that His (Jesus') own will be done but rather the will of the Father's be done.

Philippians 2:87 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The Scriptures that are used to teach us about praying in faith to receive the things we pray for are presented in a specific context and we need to look at the whole context to discern what exactly Jesus was talking about and what He was trying to impart to us. Look at Matthew 21:21-22 again and then look at the context of when Jesus spoke this.

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

If we go to the beginning of the chapter we first read of Jesus' triumphal entry unto Jerusalem; then the next event after coming into Jerusalem is the cleansing of the temple; and right after that the blind and lame come to Him and He heals them; then He confronted the religious leaders, followed by going to Bethany to lodge for the night so that He could return to Jerusalem to be where He needed to be to fulfill prophecy: which was to become the sacrificial Lamb of God in the ensuing days ahead. The context is: that Jesus was doing His Father's work in God's way and it was all done according to the will of His Father. The implication then is that we are to pray in faith knowing that God will supply what we need to become all that He wants us to become; to do the Work that He has called us to; and to be where we need to be in order to do all the will of God.

Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

It was in this context of Jesus then saying "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Another example of teaching that we can "ask and that Jesus will do it" is found in John 14, but again, we must look at the context in which this is said and consider correct applications that make this statement true. Our lives must be in total congruence in obeying and following all the will of God (His whole Word) and that what we pray for is in harmony with the mind of God and His purposes for us and others that we may be praying for.

John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the work 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Jesus is speaking to His disciples at the last Passover while here on earth and is giving them His farewell address. He begins by reminding them that He and the Father are one. It is in this context of assuring them, that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son, that He tells His disciples that if they pray in His name, He will do what they ask of Him. He says that He will do what they ask in order for them to see the glory of the Father in the Son, which is himself. What is the purpose of this and how important is it? Much of Jesus' remaining instructions that evening are about service to God, and love for Him and love for one another in a manner that exemplifies to the rest of the world of what true love and faith are like. In this way, they will be witnesses to the world; they will shine the light of the Father and of His ways to others if they showforth by their examples the love of God, which is the keeping of all of the commandments in the letter and in all it's spiritual intent. 

Jesus is giving them His final words of what they must do in doing the works of God. The context in these verses is that of service to God and to others, and the implication is that such service places the people of God in positions of having and seeing needs which only God can meet in order to do that service. Jesus instructs them that in order to meet these needs, they are to go to God in the NAME of Jesus, which is equal to praying in faith, and Jesus, himself, will supply the need. Also, in this way the Father is glorified in the Son.

When it comes to Christ's teaching on the relation of faith to prayer and receiving the things that we ask for, the context for this relationship is in performing ministry and in doing the work of God; be it preaching the Gospel, serving God's people in some capacity, using our gifts and talents in which we are involved in activity in service to God in helping Him further His purposes in building His church and in being proper examples [lights] to the world. In this way, the things that we ask for and receive will glorify our Father in heaven in the process.

We are not to use faith in prayer in a way that is self-serving (as a tool) but rather faith is simply believing in and trusting in God's love, mercy and grace as the means to answered prayer according His will, His purposes, and according to His own time table.

The most important principle that comes from these Scriptures that teach on faith in conjunction with prayer, is linked to understanding and trusting in our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus to the full extent that we are willingly cooperating and participating with their plan and their purpose. 

We must see the whole picture of what that plan and purpose is for us as individuals, for the body of Christ, and for the rest of humanity. To understand FAITH in conjunction with prayer, and the knowing of how God answers prayer, is crucial to maintain our faith and know with absolute certainty that God hears our prayers. 

We must have faith that all of our prayers will be answered according to His infinite wisdom and mercy and not necessarily in ways that we think He should answer them. For many of us, we have been been taught (or have seen examples) that we must somehow conjure up a certain type of faith and use it as some kind of tool that we can use in praying to God; perhaps thinking that the more faith of this kind we show, the more willing God will be to answer our prayers according to our desires.

But the real faith that is a gift from God is not a tool that we use to get what we want when we pray for something; but rather faith is a settled mindset of believing that God is SOVEREIGN and that He knows what is best in every situation. He is infinitely wiser than we are and by having faith in those basic tenets when we come to Him in prayer, we can trust Him no matter how God should answer our prayer; whether it be "yes", "no" or "not yet".

Before our calling we were not seeking out Jesus, rather it was He that sought us out and if we responded to His call, He has CONSECRATED us that we would follow Him, keep all of His ways, and internalize His very nature. God gives us His Holy Spirit that helps us to grow in grace and knowledge for our own personal development, but also to enable us to help in building up the spiritual temple (the body of Christ) and to do whatever work God gives us to do to further His Kingdom. If we pray for these things in faith, God will give us the things that will empower us to do the works, just as the Father empowered Jesus to do His work on earth, if we are striving to be faithful to all God's commandments, statutes, ordinances and judgments and are walking in the fruit of the Spirit.

To walk as Jesus walked and to live as Jesus lived and to be able to accomplish the tasks that God lays before us requires an immense amount of faith, just as we have been studying in the previous articles. These passages in Scriptures show us that the relationship between faith and the prayers that are directed to asking God for what we believe is needed, are the things that enable His servants to be effective workers in God's field for the purpose of building God's kingdom. God desires that we be in constant communication with Him and keep our minds fixed on His great plan that He is working at. (John 5:17)

1st Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We absolutely do need to have God's gift of faith when coming before Him in prayer when we are seeking the things from God that we need to live for Him and to do the things He has commissioned us to do. It is His desire that we grow in the fruit of His Spirit, and to accomplish that end, we need to constantly be praying, meditating on His Word, and staying close to Him.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

The asking God for a certain thing and then receiving it is based on abiding in Jesus and living according to all His Word, becoming one with Him so that our prayers are in accordance with His will. Such a life, is a life of FAITH; believing that Jesus is our Master and Lord, believing in Him enough to do what He says to do (James 2:17) and seeking to please Him in our lives by how we live and also in the things that we ask of Him.

We know that God wants to give us good things, for in Matthew 7 Jesus uses an analogy that if a parent who does not even come close to God's perfection is willing to give his child good things, how much more willing is our heavenly Father who loves His children immensely, be willing to give good things in response to His children's rightful petitions.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

What are some of the good things that we can ask for and know that it our Father's will to give us then?

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

And because we affirm that we agree with the ways of God and are striving with all of our hearts to keep all of His commandments, He will give us those things.

1st John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

The apostle James writes of the opposite of this governing principle of prayer and God's will in James 4. The church members that he was addressing his letter to were not asking according to God's will at all; nor were they living in accordance with God's laws. James had this to say about how they were conducting themselves and why God was not answering their prayers. Just like faith and persistence, which are mindsets taken into prayer, SUBMISSION to the will of God is a condition that also governs prayer as well. And if we are living in willful disobedience of any kind, God will not hear us nor will He answer any of our prayers.

James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

The prophet Isaiah warned the ancient people of God that God had separated and distanced himself from them because of their gross sins. And the same can happen to us if we stray from the laws of God and harden our hearts to His correction.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Praying with Faith In Jesus Name

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

This means that prayer in Jesus' name is prayer offered in faith that Jesus is true and trustworthy, and therefore, worthy of the position and authority He holds over all that call themselves Christians. When we pray to the Father in His Son's name, we show that we seek the same will as Jesus would seek and that we are submissive to the authority of Jesus.  And when we pray in this way, Jesus promises that He will perform what we ask for; He will do it in such a way that His Father is glorified.

By these examples and Jesus teachings, we come to see that having Faith is having our hearts SET on the things of God enabling us to pray as we OUGHT to pray and to seek God's will in everything that we pray for. Faith is not a tool that we wield to obtain what we want. Rather, Jesus teaches in word and by His example the inseparable link between prayer and God's will. The apostle John speaks in regard to this as well:

1st John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

A False Type of Faith in Prayer

The difference between using faith as a tool in contrast to having a proper mindset when we come to God in prayer, is that a tool is something we possess and use to carry out a task. How we use the tool and how skillful we are at using it determines the quality of our work, the product produced, and also when the task will be accomplished. So if we are using our faith as a tool in prayer, we tend to see it as a control factor. Those that maintain that faith is a like a tool, will say that when we have enough faith, or when we use our faith in the right way, our prayers will be answered according to what we want or according to what we think should happen.

If faith, in relation to prayer, is thought of in this way, then if our faith is strong enough, our prayers will be answered and we will get what we prayed for and according to our time frame; which is usually right now or as soon as possible. This view of faith in relation to prayer then puts the power of answered prayer in the hands of the one praying. In our minds, the more we can somehow generate more faith, the more chance we will have of obtaining what we want, i.e. answered prayer. 

If we hold this view, then we will tend to blame the one doing the praying (which can be ourselves or others) of not having sufficient faith when the prayer is not answered the way we think God should answer it; and that may not be the case at all. This sets us up to think that the more we can show or generate "Faith" the more God will hear us and He will somehow bow, then, to what we want because of our "Faith".

If we do not understand the proper role of faith in prayer and then when we do not receive what we asked for, we can become very discouraged, which can further erode away our faith in God's promises in relation to prayer, and even in other promises of God in other areas.

Some of us have been taught, or we have witnessed examples, that it is somehow the amount of faith we can stir up that then makes God at our disposal to serve us rather then praying for God's will in the matter. 

When we were trying to find appropriate Sabbath music when we first began the Newsletter, we would sometimes come across certain you-tube videos of Pentecostal type singers in concerts and the audience working up a frenzy of emotional response. The celebrated singer will say something like "the power of God is in this house tonight" and think that many prayers are going to be answered and/or healings then can take place because of all of their praise and "emotional worship." This is not the kind of faith that God wants in relation to praying and having our prayers answered.

When we pray "thy will be done" we demonstrate to God that we want to participate in whatever He wants and according to His purpose; and we want to avail ourselves to serve Him rather than Him serving our whims and desires.

When we believe that it is according to a selfish kind of worked up faith in prayer and we use it to try to make God fulfill our personal desires and to get the things we want, we are mimicking the "Name it and Claim it" or the "Positive Affirmations" kind of Pentecostal Movement faith that says that all we have to do is believe that we will get what we want if we just BELIEVE that we get what we want ENOUGH. 

That kind of thinking is carnal and demonic and it is total selfishness to pray for what we think we should have based on this kind of reasoning rather than living our lives in obedience to God. These false religious types pray for and think that they can have fame, riches, divine healings, control over others, etc., based on their emotional depictions of worked up faith with no regard to following God's truth and His laws from the Bible. 

This kind of thinking is so prevalent in our modern era and in the New Age and Pentecostal Movements, and can even affect us in God's Ekklesia if we are not careful and are not aware of God's true teaching on this matter. And now we are hearing reports of this kind of thing going on in some of the COG groups among some of the leaders. We caution you, Brethren, to avoid this kind of hyped up emotional worship and prayer for it is inviting a different kind of spirit in to "answer" our prayers.  If we see proof that leaders are conducting this kind of praise and worship and teaching a false kind of faith in conjunction with praying to God, RUN from those people and don't look back.

We are not to think of these Scriptures on prayer as a magic kind of formula for asking and then automatically receiving anything we want just because we prayed for it. To have faith is much more than praying self-interest prayers combined with the hope of having or demonstrating enough faith in our praying to move God to give us what we want.

If we take the principle that "ask what you will, in faith believing, and it will be done according to what you ask" into praying for personal wants and desires, it is a wrong interpretation of Christ's teaching on prayer and faith. It is okay to ask God for things that we may desire and need, but always with the caveat that it is according to what God wants for us and that His blessings will bring about His PURPOSE. As one of His beloved children, God will give us what is best for us and then we must leave the matter to Him believing that He is providing as He sees fit according to His will for us.

An example of two kinds of prayer in the Old Testament is when Elijah confronted and challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to see whose god was real. The false prophets prayed all afternoon and all evening to their god thinking that much praying and repeating of prayers would get their god's attention and then "he" would answer them. When it came time for Elijah to pray, he simply prayed these words to the true God in true faith:

"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again." (See 1st Kings 18:36-37)

God heard Elijah and immediately sent fire down from heaven to burn up not only the sacrifice, but all the wood, the stones, and the water that he had poured to drench the items with. (Please see 1st Kings 18:21-39)

Coming to God with a Humble Attitude in Prayer

Our faith is to be an attitude, or disposition of total faith in God and praying according to His will to obtain the things that further our spiritual development, the furtherance of His work, and/or according to how He would have us blessed in life. 

What do we mean by having a mental attitude of faith rather than an idea that faith can be used as a tool in and of itself? In its purest form, faith is a mindset that is a fixed or settled belief in something which determines our understanding of, our approach to, and our dealings with something. And in the case of prayer, we are to approach God with a sound mind that has total belief in who He is and what He is about. We come to a point of such belief that we no longer have to think much about the thing that we believe in because it is held as an ABSOLUTE or as an accepted truth to be relied on because we have proven it from God's Word. 

Most people absolutely believe that the sun comes up each morning and we have come to know this truth. We don't have to keep thinking about it or keep trying to believe in it harder; it is settled in our mind and we just know that every day the sun comes up whether it is covered by clouds or not.

We come to God with this FAITH, then, in Him and in His attributes, which is our mental attitude and a heart full of faith when we approach God in prayer and understand God's reciprocation with us in relation to our prayer. 

Rather than trying to "work up faith" like the world and false religion teaches, we need to be ridding our minds of doubts about God and His way of life, forsaking false doctrines and traditions of men that we have been exposed to in the past; and when we embrace more and more of God's truth, it is in this way that we come to have greater faith. 

Paul counseled Timothy to study to show himself skilled in handling God's Word and to be able to properly wield the truth of God to overcome doubts and false doctrines by dividing out truth from error.

2nd Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the word of truth.

Hebrews is another place where Paul explains this concept about the power of God's Word.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, [of the deepest parts of our mind and spirit] and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents [purposes] of the heart.

That is where true faith comes from: The Word of God; and not from our own worked up emotions and trying to manipulate God by a show of stirred up faith and vain repetitions.

So to sum this aspect of what faith is in relation to prayer, faith is not a tool to be wielded or stirred up as if it gives us some sort of power to control the outcome of our prayers. Faith is a mental disposition toward God and belief that He will answer in accordance with what He thinks is best and then we have faith that whatever the outcome is according to His will and just trust Him.

As we live our lives in faithful obedience, we begin to take on the ways and the very mind of God and with that kind of mind, we then come to God in our prayer life. And because we are taking on the mind of Jesus and of the Father and we think as they think, our prayers and petitions will more and more be in line with God's plan and purpose. As we grow in the CHARACTER of God we will come into oneness and agreement with what God desires, and our prayers will more often reflect the kind of petitions that are in accordance with God's will and not our own selfish wants.

Sometimes we may not even know what to pray because of unseen factors or because we do not understand what God is doing yet, but if we have the right kind of faith, we will still pray that God's will be done and then just accept that God is in control no matter what happens. We may not even understand the things that we are experiencing or the ways by which God is answering, but we still trust God, that He alone has perfect understanding and that He will make His ways completely known to us when He feels it is appropriate. As we grow in this kind of faith we come to the mindset, or absolute belief, that God will take care of the matter according to His wisdom and not according to our own human reasoning and we must trust that His ways are ALWAYS best.

The Persistent Widow

In the parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge, Jesus is showing us the perseverance of a widow that goes to a judge in her city to help help her to gain relief from her adversary.  The judge is a carnal man who really does not care about the poor widow's dilemma, but because she keeps appealing to him for help, he finally avenges her of her enemy. Like the parent that gives good things to his child, how much more God is JUST in answering prayer in the threat of our adversary.

This is another aspect of having faith when we approach God in prayer; to "pray always and to not lose heart" and that just because God does not answer our prayer quickly does not mean that He never will answer our prayer.

In comparing God with the unjust judge, this parable is not saying that God is corrupt and uncaring like this human judge is. The point is being made that if persistence pays off with a corrupt human being of limited power, how much more will it pay off with a JUST God of infinite POWER. Like the comparison of the parent (who is not perfect) but still gives good gifts to his own children to that of God, who is perfect, and is more than willing to give His children good gifts, so God will certainly come to our rescue and save us from our adversary if we remain faithful. The purpose of the parable is to encourage Christians to persevere in their faith against all odds and never give up and to not ever let up in prayer.

Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

The Three Components of Faith in Prayer

By these different examples and parables Jesus shows us that we need to (1) exercise faithfulness in all of the ways of God (2) be submissive to the will of God and (3) have perseverance in prayer, never giving up when waiting upon God to act for us.  These are the mental attitudes that we must have which influence our faith and in our asking and help set proper parameters for our prayers.

Such praying and asking for the things that are needed has nothing to do with personal wants and desires. But this kind of prayer has everything to do with what God's wants and desires that are according to His purposes. If we are working diligently at being about our Father's business, we are to ask for the things that make that business possible. In this way we are not only participating in the doing of that business, but also in discerning the things that are needed (like wise far-sighted managers) and then asking God for them in faith.

The context of Christ's teaching about faith and prayer in the three areas of faith: obedience, seeking God's "WILL", and persistence to keep praying no matter what, will lead us to see the great power of God's GIFT of FAITH in PRAYER related to praying for that which is needed to accomplish God's purposes in our lives and in the lives of others that He is calling; or even laying the groundwork for the rest of humanity to be called at a later time according to God's plan for them.

By comparing all the Scriptures and looking at the context in which they are presented we can learn, then, that when we are doing the will of our Father in acting as His instruments or agents working in His service, or when we are praying for others who are involved in doing God's work, we are to ask in faith for whatever is needed to enable us or others to do His work. Within this context, Jesus tells us that we are to believe that God will give us the things we need, for if we are in alignment with His will, He opens the doors for us to be able to do as He commands.

We see from Paul's writings that he was a man of prayer and that He did not hesitate to ask the brethren often for prayers for himself and his co-workers to enable them to preach the Gospel and to give them strength to do whatever it took to do the Work of God. We, too, who are called into the Ekklesia need to be praying fervently for those that are laboring in the preaching of the Word.

2nd Thessalonians 3:13 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; 32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

And we know that it is always God's will that we become righteous and holy and we can most definitely pray for these things knowing it is the will of our Father that we attain to His holy, righteous character; not just for ourselves, but for the collective body of Christ, as well, to be righteous and holy, and to have a walk worthy of our calling.

1st Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind [prepare your mind, your disposition, your thoughts to be in alignment with God's mind ], be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Paul admonishes us to follow him (Paul) as he follows Christ in 1st Corinthians 11:1. Jesus is our PERFECT example when it comes to PRAYER and having FAITH that God will hear us and will work all things out according to His perfect will.   

Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

Jesus is our perfect example of how we are to walk and how we are to conduct our lives in all things including how to pray and to pray with total FAITH; believing with all our hearts that God hears us and will answer all of our prayers according to His desire and plans for us in this life, and on into all eternity.

Constance