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 Paul stated, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone 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 of faith is one among the
different kinds of prayer, and it 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 Work.” 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 the 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 our 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 you’re expecting to have a hundred members 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 questions 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.
CHAPTER ONE TO BE CONTINUED
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