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God's Love, Shalom , Christian, Mumbai, India, Peace, Shalomindia, Jesus,
Grace, Faith
Prayer That Demonstrates Faith in Asking
When you pray you are petitioning God in either Faith or hope.
Prayer That Demonstrates Faith by the mere task of asking is praying
in hope. Hope yields anticipation, but does not secure the answer.
But even though this kind of prayer can't bring forth the answer you
seek, Prayer That Demonstrates Faith by the mere task of asking
glorifies God because it seeks God as the Giver and is in obedience
to the command
Every prayer ought to be prayed in Faith. When we pray, we are
commanded to believe God and to take Him at His Word. We have no
right to doubt God.
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."
John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye
shall receive, that your joy may be full."
Mark 11:22 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have Faith in God."
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
We are to pray about all things, exercising our Faith in God and His
Promises.
Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God."
But how can we know the prayer was prayed in Faith? You can "feel"
you prayed in Faith, and you ought to believe you did. However, you
won't know it by sight until the "substance" and "evidence" (Hebrews
11:1) of Faith, which isn't visible at first, becomes visible at the
arriving of the answer.
Paul is an example of walking by Faith-- yet praying a prayer that
was NOT in Faith.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "7 Lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I
should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the
LORD thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And He said unto me, My
grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
It was not the LORD's specific will to remove Paul's "thorn in the
flesh". It is always the LORD's general will to heal. "Himself took
our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses... and great multitudes
came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities"
(Matthew 8:17; Luke 5:15). Paul prayed as he ought to have. Paul
believed as he ought to have. But since the Holy Spirit knew God's
specific will in this particular matter, He did not excite securing
Faith in Paul. This is an excellent example of how a Faithful
Servant couldn't pray the "Prayer of Faith", but instead prayed
Prayer That Demonstrates Faith in the mere asking.Holy
Spirit Authors the "Prayer of Faith"
Even after all your best intentions are prayerfully carried out, it
is still only the Holy Spirit Who can make the difference between
the Prayer That Demonstrates Faith in asking and the true "Prayer of
Faith". The "Prayer of Faith" must be in the specific will of God.
Only the Holy Spirit that can lead and inspire the direction that we
are to take in fulfilling God's specific will.
Romans 8:26-27 "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit [Himself]
maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And He [the Father] that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the
mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God."
Persevering in prayer is essential to the "Prayer of Faith", or else
the answer that surely would have come-- won't.
Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints."
Colossians 4:2 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with
thanksgiving."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
Note: If persevering in prayer proves impossible because the answer
is a definite, "No", then there was no Securing Faith. The prayer
was Prayer That Demonstrated Faith, but wasn't ever inspired by the
Spirit according to God's specific will. Therefore, He didn't answer
it.
1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And
if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have
the petitions that we desired of Him."
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Faith Versus Doubt
When a Christian, who is to "walk by Faith" (2Corinthians 5:7),
finds himself about to do something morally questionable, and
proceeds against his conscience, without clearing the matter by
determining, "what saith the Scripture?" (Romans 4:3), this person
is clearly in doubt.
Romans 14:23 "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he
eateth not of Faith: for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin."
Faith secures all. Doubt receives nothing.
James 1:6-8 "6 Let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
LORD. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
If you know "beyond a shadow of doubt" that God's will for you is to
curse a fig tree, or move a mountain, and you refuse to believe Him
for it, then you drop from one, who trusts God to use you to do the
impossible, to one who doubts God. "And he that doubteth is damned."
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."
Mark 11:23 "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."
Galatians 4:19-21 "19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with
you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 21
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the
law?"
John 10:23-26 "23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, How long
dost Thou make us to doubt? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works
that I do in My Father's Name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But ye
believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you."
by Katie Stewart |
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Prayer and Faith |
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Many people wonder why
their prayers are not answered. It could be a matter of
faith.
Prayer is very common. The world is full of individuals
who pray to God. Some people pray on a daily basis, and
others only prayer when they are in a difficult
situation. Others pray as a last resort. Some have seen
miraculous answers, while others feel as though they
were not heard. Why is that? While it may not be the
only reason, faith is an important factor in prayer.
Have you, or someone you know ever tried prayer and just
felt that it didn't work, or that you were just ignored?
You are not alone, because many people have felt that
way. The approach to the prayer can make all of the
difference. Was the prayer prayed in faith? Was the
prayer prayed in fear and doubt? Faith is the key
ingredient to an effective prayer. It isn't a science,
but it is a matter of spiritual principal.
What Praying in Faith is Not ...
Praying in faith is not simply believing that God
exists.
Praying in faith is not begging God, or bargaining with
Him. For example, a faith filled prayer would not sound
like, "Please, God, I really, really need this, God,
PLEASE!" It also doesn't sound like, "If you do this for
me, I will do this for you."
Praying in faith is not testing out prayer to see if it
works. You shouldn't approach God with a back up plan in
mind just in case He doesn't come through for you.
Praying in faith is not a gamble. It is not a matter of
saying the right words in the right way or getting
lucky, as you would pick lottery numbers and hope they
win.
Praying in faith is not approaching God in fear or
condemnation.
Praying in faith is not reciting the Lord's Prayer.
Praying in faith cannot be reciting the Lord's Prayer,
because it wasn't intended to be repeated word for word.
It was a model for prayer, which includes praise,
forgiveness, a respect for God's will, and a request.
That was the example prayer of Jesus, and He prayed what
He desired. You need to pray what you desire.
What Praying in Faith IS ...
First of all, it is important to understand that God
does answer every prayer. If you think of prayer as a
request, which is essentially what it is, there are
different answers to requests. Sometimes the answer is
yes. The answer could also be no. What people forget is
that there is another possible answer, and that is
"later." Sometimes the answer is yes, but there is a
waiting period before things happen. Knowing this, it is
easier to pray in faith, because you understand that God
loves you and hears you.
To pray in faith is to know without a doubt that God is
real, that He cares about you, and that He is listening
to you.
To pray in faith is to know without a doubt that if what
you are asking for is in His will, it will come to pass.
To pray in faith is to approach God with a respectful
confidence. If you have done wrong, you are wiling to
ask forgiveness, and come into obedience of His will.
With a clear conscience, you can approach God with an
understanding in your heart that you are in good
standing with Him.
To pray in faith is to believe that prayer is powerful
and effective. While you may not see the direct outcome
of your prayer, you know that the fact that you prayed
will change something.
To pray in faith is to be open and honest with God. Pray
what you mean from your heart, because God knows your
secrets anyway. The honest communication will free you
and create a bond with Him.
To pray in faith is to trust that God is wise, and that
He will answer your prayer with ultimate wisdom.
Remember, the answer can be yes, no, or not yet.
This is not a recipe to get whatever you want out of
God. This is the proper approach to communicating with
Him. Praying in faith is a spiritual growth exercise. I
encourage you to do it. God is listening, and he does
care.
By Chesley Maldonado
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Prayer of Faith : Insights from God’s Word
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or
discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the
vast army with him, for there is a greater power
with us than with him. With him is only the arm of
flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us
and to fight our battles. - 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
Prayer of Faith: Stepping Out
Prayer: Sweet Jesus, I praise Your name and I shout
out with joy for Your presence in my life, and for
the anointing power of Your Holy Spirit which is
helping me to go deeper in Your truths and soar
higher in Your power. I turn my eyes to the heavens
anticipating new wisdom and deeper insights into
Your sacred truths.
I praise You that more and more each day, I am
becoming more confident about who I am in You -- and
I praise You that the kingdom You are establishing
right now on this earth cannot be shaken. My heart
is flooded with joy knowing that Your surrendered
ones are being used in mighty ways right now, and
that Your strength and power is being made available
to each and every one of them.
My prayer today begins with a cry asking You to
release from bondage those Christians who are
leading defeated lives. I ask You to release them
from their own tunnel vision that prevents them from
seeing beyond their own individual circumstances. I
pray, Jesus, that with every ounce of faith they
have, they will come to understand who they are in
You, and begin to exert their authority over the
dark places that hold them captive in the night.
Feed them, I cry, with manna from heaven that fills
their hunger and sustains them on their journey to
the river of life where their thirst will be filled.
Feed them with Your truths so they can grow stronger
and be hope-filled. Fill them with hearts of praise
for what You have already done for them, so they can
join the chorus of praise now being lifted up.
Jesus, help all of us, regardless of our position,
to step out in faith and take our rightful places.
When we come under attack, remind us how much power
we have over the stings and arrows Satan fires at
us. We are not helpless, we are certainly not weak,
we are children of the King and His rightful heirs.
Turn our hearts toward worship, praise, and
thanksgiving when we start to wallow in self pity,
selfishness, or pride. You have already redeemed us,
and Satan will one day eat the dust of our work as
he is evicted from Your eternal kingdom. Remind us
every day that we do not live by bread alone -- but
by every word that You have spoken. Remind us that
there are multitudes of people being drawn together
by Your common cause, and in Your timing they will
be mobilized into the greatest fighting force the
world has ever seen. Every day is an opportunity to
prepare ourselves -- every day is an opportunity to
focus our minds and hearts on You and Your purposes
-- and every day is a day we can hear Your still
small voice share its secrets with us, helping us to
resist evil, and focus on truth, righteousness, and
holiness.
I pray for all who pray this prayer, that they will
have holy and pure motivations wherever they are
presently placed in the Body of Christ. I pray that
like David, they will have hearts of worship as
their sword and have security knowing that our God
can do all things -- that nothing is impossible with
Him. I pray they will lift their hearts to You so
their spirit will touch Your heart. Let Your very
real Presence in their lives become clear. I
acknowledge You are our safety net, our security
blanket, and I thank You for all the times past when
You have saved us from harm. I anticipate with a
grateful heart all the victories that are about to
come!
I choose today to take refuge in You. I choose to
fear the Lord and not man, and I choose obedience
over willfulness and submission over pride. I am
blessed beyond measure already, and I praise and
thank You for all You have provided, knowing that we
will lack no good thing as we seek You first above
all else. To You be all the honor and glory!
Prayer of Faith: Making it Personal
Reflect: I have learned a very valuable lesson over
the years -- that whenever I am about to sink in the
pit of worry, I look upward and begin praising God
for all I have already been given. Then, I claim
victory over worry, confusion, and anxiety, and
replace these emotions with gratitude and a thankful
heart. I often have to do this several times a day,
but I can guarantee it works. God responds to a
grateful heart. He actually weeps over His
brokenhearted kids. How can we not praise a God like
this who gave everything He had to give, so we could
have eternity with Him? His great power can sustain
you no matter what your circumstances.
Compliments of Carolyn Baker |
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For all
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