THE PRAYER OF FAITH As believers in Christ, our life is a life of faith. “Faith” is one of the outstanding virtues that distinguish us from the unbeliever. For it’s by faith that we accepted God’s gracious salvation through Christ, thereby receiving eternal life (the God-kind of life) into our spirits. Our walk with God is a walk of faith. In Romans 1:16-17, Apostle Pau stated, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth… For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” This scripture thus confirms faith as a great underlying factor at the core of our existence as believers. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” (Hebrews 11:6). In our prayer life, the principle of faith holds sway in a significant context. The prayer is one among the different kinds of prayer, and has its peculiar rules and requirements. This prayer involves making a request to God and speaking to circumstances in order to make them conform to our desires, without doubts in our hearts. In Mark 11:22, Jesus counselled His disciples to “…HAVE FAITH IN GOD.” But it’s interesting to know that the literal translation of His statement actually reads, “HAVE THE FAITH OF GOD.” In other words, have the God-kind of faith. When you understand this kind of faith the Lord Jesus was talking about and learn how to operate in it, you’ll become well-equipped and ready to get results through your prayer of faith. I’ve taught extensively on the subject of different kinds of faith in another book: “How to Make Your Faith Word.” But let’s see what Jesus says here about having the faith of God. In the subsequent verses following His profound statement, Jesus went on to tell us something so vital about God-kind of faith. “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, ‘believe’ that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:22-24). The Master repeatedly uses the word “believe,” emphasizing to us that “believing” is a fundamental requirement for having our desires met when we pray. Thus, one crucial question to ask at this point would be: What does it mean to believe? You’ve got to understand that the Christian concept of “believing” is different from the unbeliever’s idea of “believing.” Anybody can believe a thing; the Bible says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20). You can see that even the demons “believe,” but what distinguishes your “believing” as a child of God is your “works.” And this is the type of “believing” Jesus was referring to in Mark 11:23-24 – the believing that acts and takes possession. “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). Notice Jesus didn’t say, “When you pray, wait until you get your request before you believe.” Rather, he told us to believe that we receive right at the point of praying, and we would have out request. This is faith! Faith means “I have it, though I may not see it with my physical eyes now. “Therefore, “to believe” in the context of Jesus’ teaching in Mark 11:23-24 doesn’t connote an individual living in the realm of hope; rather, it talks about a possessor – one who accepts that something “exists,” and thus “acts as such.” PRINCIPLES OF THE PRAYER OF FAITH 1) THERE MUST BE A SPECIFIC DESIRE Specific desire is paramount in the prayer of faith. Jesus said: “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” (Mark 11:23). Jesus emphasized the need for specificity of desire when we pray. Observe in the Scripture above that He didn’t say, “Whosoever shall say to any mountain,” but whosoever shall say to this mountain.” Thus, in the prayer of faith, it’s highly imperative that you have a clear and specific desire in your heart. You just can’t be vague in your communication. You can act on God’s Word in simplicity and faith and always expect results. If you’re a pastor, for example, and you wish to double the membership size of your church, you’ve got to know the exact number of people you have in church presently. So if you’ve got a fifty-member congregation at the moment, it means at a set time. This is what it means to be specific! Or perhaps, you want an increase in your finances. Then you should ask such question like: What is my average annual income currently? How much more do I want to receive in the coming year? Specificity is an essential principle if you must get effective results through the prayer of faith. Remember, Jesus said, “whosoever shall say unto this mountain.” That means you’re not going to be talking about the mountain, or telling God to do something about the mountain. You’re to address the mountain and tell it what to do; the content of your prayer must be directed towards your specific area of need, otherwise you may not get the desired outcome.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 18:05:35 +0000
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