Devotional
for the Week—16 April 2007
Prayer
– Key to Revival: Prayer of Faith
Scripture Text: Matthew
17:14-21; Matthew 21:18–22
Jesus
emphasised that faith was pivotal to God’s response to our
prayers and petitions. The scriptures promise that we will receive
whatever we ask, if we have faith and do not doubt. We also read
that Christ’s disciples failed to heal a man with epilepsy
because they lacked faith in their attempts to do so. What is
faith and why is it so critical to our relationship with God and
prayers?
What Is A Prayer Of Faith?
Hebrews
11:1 states “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see”.
A
Prayer of faith is simply prayers uttered by faith i.e. belief
that God exists, trusting completely that He answers prayers in
accordance to His will.
James
5:16 states “….The prayer of a righteous man is powerful
and effective.” This is because the righteous man lives
by the will of God and prays accordingly. To do this, he has to
trust God whole-heartedly to act upon what is asked according
to His will. A righteous man therefore prays with faith and does
so according to God’s will. Elijah was one such man whose
prayers were powerful and effective.
Teaching
Jesus
taught the disciples in Matthew 17:20–21 that if they had
faith, even one as small as a mustard seed, they would be able
to move mountains. This also means that we do not need a great
measure of faith to see miracles or great results being accomplished.
This is because the person who enables these miracles and results
are not us but God. Our place in the equation is to draw on our
faith and place it on God who enables these miracles. The following
examples illustrate this point.
a.
Faith in Jesus Christ enabled Peter to experience
the miracle of walking on water. The act was obviously not possible
without God’s power, but Peter had faith in Jesus when He
told him to “Come” to Him. However, Peter started
sinking when he lost his focus on God and his faith gave way to
his fear of the strong winds and waves at sea.
b.
Faith in the Word of God
on the part of the Israelites meant that they obeyed the supernatural
plan God had given Joshua as regards Jericho. They did not have
the power to cause its walls to crumble - only God could accomplish
such a feat. However, they had faith that God would do as He said
– and He did.
c.
Faith in the promises of God paved
the way for Abraham to become the Father of Israel and Moses to
lead the Israelites to cross the Red Sea. Both Abraham and Moses
ould not have accomplished these miracles - only God could. They
could, however, place their faith on God to deliver His promises
– and He did.
In
Matthew 17:14 – 21 Jesus rebukes the disciples for lack
of faith because there is a necessary link between faith
and fulfillment. For example, it is through our
faith in God’s grace that we receive the gift of salvation,
and not our works (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9). When we confess
and say the sinners’ prayer, we are demonstrating such faith.
What Is Faith?
The
main elements of ‘faith’ in its relation to the invisible
God, as distinct from ‘faith’ in man are:
1.
A firm conviction (Belief in God’s
Word and Promises) (2 Thess 2: 11 – 12)
- producing a full acknowledgment of God’s revelation or
truth.
2. A personal surrender
to Him (Belief in God’s Character)
(John 1: 12)
3.
A conduct inspired by such surrender
(Living God’s Will) (2 Cor: 5:7)
Therefore,
faith encompasses an attitude, conviction and conduct based on
a right relationship with God. It is not static, but grows in
strength and depth as we nourish that relationship with our Creator
throughout our lives.
Application
To
develop our faith in God, it is imperative for us to:
1.
Read God’s word.
2. Pray God’s promises.
3. Trust in God’s character.
Why Is Faith Essential For Effective Prayer?
1.
Faith is a forerunner to all answered prayers
Hebrew 11:6 declares that without faith, it is impossible to please
God. We must believe that God is honest in His promises and will
therefore bring them to pass. We cannot be double-minded (James
1: 6-8)
2.
Faith is a readily available power source
Romans 12:3 states that God has given a measure of faith to every
man. To illustrate, faith is like electricity which is always
there, but unless we plug-in, the equipment in our hands will
not respond. Faith is power waiting to be tapped on.
The
reason for doubt and unbelief is misplaced faith, that is, instead
of placing it on the promises and character of God, it is put
on Satan’s lies and human rationalisation.
3. Faith is bold confidence in God
A person who has learned to pray the prayer of faith has learnt
to depend much on God and ask much of God. (1 John 5:13–15).
We must learn to come to God in confidence and ask boldly our
petitions.
Prayer Response:
Dear Jesus, Thank you that you love me very much and long to hear
me. I know that as I place my trust in you, you will strengthen
my faith day by day. I pray for the discipline to always focus
on you and not be distracted by the things of this world. Lord,
give me the wisdom to use the measure of faith that You have accorded
to me in a way that glorifies and pleases you. Amen
Devotional based on a message by Rev Vincent Goh