What is it necessary to be saved (Part 13).

[Leonardo Von]

What is it necessary to be saved (Part 13).

    12 – Prayer of faith:

•    “And the *prayer of faith* shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James  5:15).
•    “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans  10:13).

It comes the question: “why is it used this term ‘prayer of faith’? By any chance exist a ‘prayer without faith’?

Certainly, inasmuch as:

•    “And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” (Mat 21:22). 

Perhaps you are questioning: “but, what would be a ‘prayer without faith” or, if you prefer, “a prayer of incredulity”?

For instance, when we pray asking Jesus for keeping our enemies at bay, we are praying believing more in the power of evil than in the power of the gospel. If Jesus always heard this kind of prayer no unbeliever would convert. After all:

•    “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching?” (Rom 10:14).

In a prayer of faith, we will ask Jesus to put the right people in our way and to empower us so that each one of these people can know Jesus through us.

Pore on this verse:

•    “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

If you pay attention carefully, you will see that the Holy Spirit help our infirmities (weakness). I know that this is difficult to hear. Nevertheless, remember that, many times, it is when we are weak that we are powerful (2Corinthians 12.9,10), inasmuch as Christ’ power is made perfect in the weakness.

On the other hand:

•    “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Therefore, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in prayer. Only then will our prayer be as high as the Creator's thoughts and ways (Is 55: 8,9). Not to mention that:

•    “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7) 
•    “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 15.16)

It is the Holy Spirit who guides us to pray according to the Creator's will and to expect what Jesus has for us (and not what we want from Him). And this is what will give us the following confidence:

•    “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 John  5:14).

So, let’s always pray with faith, that is to say, in according to what Jesus planned for us and certainly we will experiment miracles much greater than every good that we planned for us. 

Good day in Christ Jesus.
 

[Solly]

I have grown to learn of many who are 'people-of-words' but when I see that their words are empty and their deeds are lacking, I sometimes wonder how they live with themselves.