6-15-2024 Prayer of  Faith

I Am’.  ‘Jaweh’.  ‘Jehovah’.  ‘Savior’. The ‘everlasting God’.  ‘The First and the Last’.  “Is, Was’ and ‘Always Shall Be’, Healer, Teacher.  If one doesn’t believe God is, then the rest of this entry will be meaningless to that person. 

Without God, everything else is just human perception.  Yes, man says ‘science’ helps us understand everything, but then what is science based on?  We study the heavens and the earth, the various life forms and of what things are made.  Man studies all these things then draws his own conclusion as to what it all means.  Okay, we also study about what other men have written about everything and agree with them and/or draw our own conclusions anyway.  We explain the composition of things but not how their components originated.  As with all ‘living’ creatures, I’m talking about before birth, before conception before the unity of the sperm and egg, before there was anything with which to create anything else.  How did it all truly start? 

We note our modern-day inventors and philosophers, but what inspired them?  Do we go back to the ancient civilizations over the millennia?  The Romans, the Greeks the Sumerians (@3500  - 4000 BC, oh I’m sorry I mean “BCE” [lol]).  The Sumerians are accredited with man’s first written language, but recently, I’ve read where, those who research these things, may have discovered a written language older than the Sumerians.

Man endeavors to show how all things have come into existence by using that which exists to explain how it came to exist.  I’m me because I’m me.  I am because mommy and daddy got together and, lo and behold, I eventually joined them.  My mom and dad came from their moms and dads and so on.  How far back do we go – ancestry research?  Do we think we can or do we even desire to live forever?  What will happen to us?  Do we just live this life and that’s it?  Will we be continually re-incarnated until we become perfect?  Is it really easier to believe that everything that is, came from a minute ‘singularity’ which is still expanding but will eventually implode?  Implode?  That’s means to collapse in upon itself, a theory developed by Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann in 1922.    But if all creation implodes, how can we be re-incarnated when nothing will exist anymore?  Nor will there be anything to exist in!

We must believe that God is and that He will do the things He says He will do – that is answer our prayers and grant us eternal existence with Him.  Nobody really wants to die, so if eventually everything stops, that is doesn’t exist, why do we look forward to something beyond this life?  We believe that God does exist!  So, as Christians, we do have something to look forward to.  So does the world, but they ain’t gonna like it!

Those for whom we pray must also believe that God is and will do what is being asked of Him.  Jesus does tells us that when we pray, we must believe that we receive the answers and bear no ill will towards any person (Mark 11:23-36).  A clean heart = answered prayers.

As Christians, we believe that God answers our prayers, so can we just ask God for anything we desire?  Father desires us to abide in His will, that Father, Son and we should become one (John 15:4, 17:11-21).  As we grow closer to Father, we discover that our will lines up more and more with His will.  Jesus tells us that He came not to do His own will but the will of our Father, that is that all who receive Jesus will be raised up on that last day into everlasting life (John 6:38-40).  Paul tells the Corinthians that they should follow him as he follows Jesus (1 Corinth. 11:1).  As Christians, should we do any less?  Every person who brings the word of God, should always be pointing towards following Jesus.

Our faith is expressed through our prayers for ourselves and those for whom we pray and, of course, actions are necessary in both situations (James 2:14,1-18).

So, what are some of things that can breakup that unity with Father, things that hinder or prevent our prayer life, our faith?  What are some of the things preventing us from living a full and productive life in Jesus Christ?

Father hides His face from our sin and will not hear us when there is unconfessed sin in our own life (Psalm 66:18, Prov. 28:9, Isa: 59:2-3). 

God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).  So when we aren’t sure about or are not ‘bold’ in what we request (that means doubt), Father turns a deaf ear to our prayers.  Are we doubting Father’s ability to meet our needs (James 1:6-8) or do we feel that He won’t do it for ‘me’?  Jesus tells us to believe and we will receive the things we for which we ask (Mark 11:24).  Don’t we desire Father to hear our prayers? 

Also, should there be someone who has done something to us, whom we have not yet forgiven, we need to forgive that person to keep channels open with Father (Mark 11:25-26), whether that person asks forgiveness or not. 

Sometimes, we may ask for the wrong reasons, desiring to fulfill our own lusts, (give me million dollars, when our only intent is just to keep up with the ‘Jones’ (James 4:3).  Desiring things so we can ‘look better’ before others would contrast with our asking for things to better our lives.  Where are our needs compared with just wanting ‘stuff’ to impress others?

A clean vessel must eradicate doubt and fear – then we will see Father do His work in us and/or through us.  Fear and doubt work hand in hand.  Effectively they produce the same results.  When we doubt that something will come to pass, then we become fearful that we might fail.  So, when we doubt, it truly won’t come to pass because we are afraid that it might not.

We must put our full trust in Father then seek to eliminate all negativity from our thinking.

And then

Abiding in God’s love, we are the children of God (John 1:12-13, Gal.3:26).  We are the temple of His Holy Ghost (1 Corinth. 6:19-20).  As parents, how many of us don’t want what is best for our children so they can live a better life?  Father feels the same about us.

We want to see results in our prayers?  Resist sin and God’s righteousness will reign in us as we are obedient to Him (Rom. 5:21).  We need learn to hear God.  Even as Samuel ran to his mentor Eli, three times, asking what he wanted, thus, eventually, prompting Eli to realize what was going on and gave the boy instructions how to answer the next time heard the voice.  Sure enough, God called Samuel a fourth time and Samuel said “Lord, here am I”, yielding himself to the Lord.  Yes, Father speaks to us through the bible, other people or situations and even the world around us.  Are we listening?  Do we recognize our heavenly Father’s voice?

Jesus gives us the “Lord’s Prayer” (Matt. 6:9-13), but really, it isn’t the “Lord’s” prayer.  It is a prayer Father gives us to pray back to Him for our daily sustenance, to help us get through each day.  One of Jesus’ prayers is when He prayed in Gethsemane, wrestling for strength to complete His mission here on earth (Luke 22:41-44).

Results

Jesus gives us authority over things of this earth and the authority over Satan’s power to do what he does (Luke 9:1).  In other words, we can tell the things of this earth AND the devil what to do but remembering  that whatsoever and whenever we do, it needs to be in the name of Jesus (Col. 3:17) and it shall be done (John 14:12-14).  This remains true as long as we abide in the Lord.

Much to their chagrin, seven brothers sought to cast out a devil, as Paul did in Jesus’ name.  They didn’t realize that Jesus is the power behind the words – the prayer -and the power Jesus has is also given us via the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-16).  The brothers didn’t have the power of Jesus so the man possessed by the devil kicked the brothers butts and chased them away (Acts 19:13-16)!

We must operate knowing that Father has given us this authority and power and knowing that Jesus is always with us (Matt. 28:20) and will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).  Ergo we can go with the confidence that God is with us in whatever the task that lies before us.

We also know that Jesus did some long-distance healing, that is, not in His immediate presence: the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10) and healing the Canaanite’s daughter (Matt. 15:22-28); as well as up close and personal healing: the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-5) or the blind man on the roadside (Luke 18:35-43).  However, when Jesus went home to Nazareth, He could only heal a few sick folk – because of their unbelief (no faith) (Matt. 13:54-58).  Jesus could heal those right there with Him or even those nowhere near His person.  The only ones He couldn’t heal were those who refused to accept who He is.  And because we believe, Jesus is our healer, Jehovah Rapha!

Remember, knowing all about what Father can and will do is not the same as abiding in His love and then doing it.  Here’s where I love Job, the man.  Yep the man whom was blessed by God then lost everything.  After his ordeal was finally over, ole Job said “I knew all about You (God), but now, I have seen you face to face (Job 42:5).  Father, very vividly, introduced Himself to Job and Job came to know who God truly is.  Knowing ‘about God’ and ‘knowing God’ are not the same thing!  As we read accounts of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, King David and as we follow the ministry of our Lord Jesus, we discover that Father does want an up close and personal relationship with each of us.  

Faith without works is dead so when we believe Father for something there must be an action on our part AND on the part of the recipient.  We speak the Word over the believer.  Or maybe as Peter did at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, having spoken the healing then he reached down and took the man’s hand.  The man leaped up and walked around.  So, the person receiving the prayer must also take an action, testifying to what has been done (Acts 3:1-12).

Physical presence isn’t always necessary, as with the Centurion’s servant.  The Centurion was in Jesus’ presence, the servant was ‘miles’ away.  So we learn that where two or more are in agreement (Jesus and the Centurion (Matt. 18:19), God will do His work!

So, what have we discovered about praying in faith?

We have to believe that God is.  Father will answer our prayer when we have no outstanding sins in our life.  We can ask for ourselves as well as for others and then, we need to make sure we are asking according to God’s will and not seeking to satisfy our own, personal lust.  Our goal (not mentioned) is to edify the body of Christ (1 Corinth. 14:12, 26) in all that we say and do.  And that does include ourselves!

We discover that fear and doubt and unbelief are contrary to the operation of faith in prayer, but as we expect and anticipate Father to answer our prayers we shall receive, for ourselves as well as others.  As with the centurion, the testimony was when the Centurion returned and discovered that his servant had been healed the same hour Jesus had prayed or him. Peter saw the lame leap up and walk around. 

We see that action on our part and on the recipient’s part must be taken as a testimony as to what Father has just done.  Our testimony is verified as we see the results of prayer as it happens or, maybe even after the event.

Then, by the grace of God, as we are obedient in His will, we can do the same works Jesus did (John 14:11)?  For others, as well as ourselves.  Hallelujah!

Prayers of, with and through faith.

Amen?