Mark 11: 24 « Therefore
I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
them, and you will have them. »
Hebrews 11 :1 « Now
faith is the [a]substance of things hoped for, the [b]evidence of things not
seen»
James 1: 6 « But let him
ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind.»
Faith is the
basis of our Christian life. For it is by faith that we believe in a God whom
our eyes cannot see, that we believe in a salvation that cannot be touched,
that we allow our lives to be guided by the Holy Spirit whom we cannot see or
touch, that we believe in and preach the eternal life that we have in Jesus
without any tangible contract, with as our only guarantee the integrity and
love of God whom we cannot see. 1 Peter 1 :8-9 « whom having not
[d]seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice
with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the
salvation of your souls»
So our
understanding is that without faith there is no Christian life. Faith is what
connects us with God. And He understands only one language: the language of
faith. So no matter how long we pray or
how hard we fast, if we don't have faith, they won't be effective because they
will lack that fundamental element of their main quality.
Hebrews 11 : 6 « But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.»
The effectiveness
of prayer and fasting is based on three interrelated elements: faith, The Word
of God, and the state of our heart. The
last two depend on the level of our faith. A heart pleasing to God is a heart
that is submissive to His will and connected to Him. God's will is written in
His Word. Therefore, to be submissive to God is to obey His Word. And this
obedience requires that we believe in God's Word, and that we accept God's
absolute authority. All this comes down to one thing and one thing only: faith.
This text answers
the following questions: How to pray in faith? What are the characteristics of a prayer of faith?
1. Prayer of faith is rooted in God's Word
The Word of God, found in the Bible, is like a canvas for the Christian.
It describes the ‘How to’ of prayer. All
prayers must be in line with His Will as revealed in His Word. Indeed, no
Christian will pray to have his brother's wife; for that would be contrary to
God's Word. No Christian will pray for his brother to become poor, because this
prayer is not in line with God's commandment to love our neighbors as
ourselves, etc. 1 John 5:14
God's Word tells us how to pray (1 John 5:14, Mark 11:24, Psalms 145:18, Matthew 6:7), when to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Romans 12:12, Acts 1:14, Colossians 4:2), what to pray for (Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:16, Psalms 18:7). All these recommendations boil down to two things: perseverance and faith. But we can't persevere without faith; for persevering in something implies that we firmly believe it will come to pass. Ultimately, these recommendations rest on just one thing: faith.
2. The prayer of faith is that which comes from a heart pleasing to God
As we said at the beginning of the text, a heart according to God's will
is a heart that is submissive to His word, does His will, is indwelt by the
Holy Spirit and therefore produces the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”.
Prayers that come from a heart pleasing to God will undoubtedly conform
to His will, for they will be imbued with love and benevolence towards others,
love towards God (like a worshipper's heart, as recommended by Jesus in John
4:23-24), and faith in God.
Effective prayer, according to God's will, depends not on the length, intensity, beauty or complexity of the words spoken, but on the quality of our faith.
Galatians 8 : 13 « Then Jesus said
to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for
you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.»