Book: With Christ in the School of Prayer
Chapter 12: Have faith in God; OR, The Secret of Believing Prayer

Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-23)

Jesus points out where the faith in the answer to prayer takes its rise, and ever finds its strength. HAVE FAITH IN GOD: this word precedes the other, Have faith in the promise of an answer to prayer. The power to believe a promise depends entirely, but only, on faith in the promiser. Trust in the person begets trust in his word. … The value of the promise depends on the promiser: it is on my knowledge of what the promiser is that faith in the promise depends.

This is so basic, yet so profound. Faith isn’t grounded in how boldly we proclaim a promise. Faith isn’t grounded in how often we pray, or how ferverently we pray, or how much we “stir” up our faith for something. Faith finds it’s foundation in Who (not what) we place our faith in. First and foremost, we must Have Faith in God.

Faith is…the ear by which I hear what is promised, the eye by which I see what is offered…. Through this opened ear the soul tarries under the influence of the life and power of God Himself…. Faith is also the eye to which God shows what He is and does…. When faith now is in full exercise as eye and ear, as the faculty of the soul by which we see and hear God, then it will be able to exercise its full power as hand and mouth, by which we appropriate God and His blessing. The power of reception will depend entirely on the power of spiritual perception.

The above excerpt was originally taken from two long paragraphs. It’s really heavy! In summary, there is an incredible connection between there ear and the eye. These two senses are necessary to perceieve The Promiser and His promise (hear and see). Next, we use our hand and mouth to receive the promise (ask for what has been promised and hold out our hand to receive it). Take a minute, using your imagination, seeing these four things working together: Eye & Ear, Mouth & Hand.

Faith is simply surrender: I yield myself to the impression the tidings I hear make on me. By faith I yield myself to the living God. His glory and love fill my heart, and have the mastery over my life. Faith is fellowship; I give myself up to the influence of the friend who makes me a promise, and become linked to him by it. And it is when we enter into this living fellowship with God Himself, in a faith that always sees and hears Him, that it becomes easy and natural to believe His promise as to prayer.

These three words had a striking impact on me: Faith is Fellowship. Just meditate on this. Seeing God and Hearing God in fellowship. If you could see and hear God, how much easier and natural would it be to believe his promises?

When [God's Children] desire earnestly to obtain an answer from God, they fix their whole heart upon the promise, and try their utmost to grasp that promise in faith. When they do not succeed, they are ready to give up hope; the promise is true, but it is beyond their power to take hold of it in faith. … Learn to believe in God, to take hold of God, to let God take possession of thy life, and it will be easy to take hold of the promise. He that knows and trusts God finds it easy to trust the promise too.

Again, unanswered prayer may the result of extending our faith to obtain a promise. Let’s not give up trying! Let’s redirect our efforts to direct that faith toward’s God, The Promiser.

Precious lessons that Jesus has to teach us this day. We seek God’s gifts; [rather,] God wants to give us HIMSELF first. We think of prayer as the power to draw down good gifts from heaven; [rather,] Jesus is the means to draw ourselves up to God. We want to stand at the door and cry; [rather,] Jesus would have us first enter in and realize that we are friends and children.

Book: With Christ in the School of Prayer
Chapter 9: Pray the Lord of the Harvest; OR Prayer Provides Laborers

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is ‘plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Why does He ask His disciples to pray for this? Could He not pray Himself? Would not one prayer of His achieve more than a thousand of theirs? Is God, the Lord of the harvest, not aware of the need? And would He not, in His own good time, send laborers without the disciples’ prayers? Such questions lead us into the deepest mysteries of prayer and its power in the Kingdom of God. The answer to such questions will convince us that prayer is indeed a power on which the gathering of the harvest and the coming of the Kingdom do in very truth depend.

This paragraph, and especially the last sentence, really hit me hard. Somehow, the coming of God’s Kingdom (His reign & rule) depends on my prayer. The words that I release from my mouth wield a supernatural power. In the name of Jesus, I have authority to release the powers of heaven to do the work of the Kingdom on earth. In many ways, I cannot comprehend this mystery!

But since He entrusted them with the work and made it to a large extent dependent on them, He gives them authority to apply to Him for laborers and makes the supply dependent on their prayer.

In every church I have been to, one of the greatest complaints I have heard from leadership is that “20% of the people do 80% of the work”. And it’s true! This problem has several contributing factors, not least of which is a kind of Consumeristic Christianity that has emerged over the past 50 years. I won’t get on that soapbox now!

The point that I do want to make, though, is that Jesus makes a promise. Did you know that God has never broken a promise? He is completely faithful to the covenant that he made with his people; and, he is faithful to all promises that are bound to that covenant. In this passage, Jesus is telling us that we can rightfully invoke this covenantal promise! And, he WILL DO what he says. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be a faithful God. Is it possible that the problem isn’t on God’s end, but on ours?

Why don’t we obey the Master’s instruction more heartily and cry more earnestly for laborers? There are two reasons.

1) We miss the compassion of Jesus which gave rise to this request for prayer. Believers must learn to love their neighbors as themselves and to live entirely for God’s glory in their relationships with fellow-men.

2) We believe too little in the power of prayer to bring about definite results. We do not live close enough to God to be capable of the confidence that He will answer. We have not surrendered entirely to His service and Kingdom. But our lack of faith will be overcome as we plead for help.

Yes, the problem isn’t on God’s end. Two key elements that we, his disciples, are lacking: 1) The compassion of Jesus; and 2) Thinking too little of the power of our prayer.

Let us pray for a life in union with Christ, so that His compassion streams into us and His Spirit assures us that our prayer is heard.

Amen!

Let us set apart time and give all of ourselves to this part of our intercessory work. It will lead us into the fellowship of that compassionate heart of His that led Him to call for our prayers. It will give us the insight of our royal position as children of the King whose will counts for something with the great God in the advancement of His Kingdom.

He’s Up!
By Pastor Tom

Jesus said to [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11.25, 26)

He’s up! He’s alive! Friday, He was dead and Sunday, He was alive. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the one truth that sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions of the world. Every other religion on earth entombs and often enshrines the remains of its dead founders. We can’t. We can’t because we didn’t have a dead founder to entomb. We tried, but it seems He would have no part of it – Jesus had other plans.

Some time before His own resurrection, Jesus took advantage of a teaching moment with His followers. A friend named Lazarus had died and his sisters were sick with grief. They knew that Jesus could have healed their brother of his terminal illness. But He didn’t come in time, and now it was too late – Lazarus was dead. So Jesus (always doing what He saw the Father doing) made his way to Bethany, having already missed the funeral by several days. Jesus silenced the family’s complaint about His poor timing with an announcement followed by a question. The announcement was simply “I am the resurrection and the life.” Resurrection, said Jesus, was not something that He could do; it was something that He is. It was not simply something in his arsenal of amazing abilities, resurrection and life flowed from His very character and being.

Being around Jesus means being around resurrection and being around life, because that is what Jesus is. As you celebrate the Risen Jesus today, be sure to enjoy the incredible power of His company. Some people have such strong personalities that you are affected by merely being in their presence. Jesus is resurrection and Jesus is life. Be sure to invite Him to have His own personal impact on the dead or dying parts of your life today.

Jesus followed up His amazing statement with a simple question: “Do you believe this?” As we end our 40 Days of Faith today, the abiding question is whether or not we believe (have faith for) the words of Jesus over the words of the world. The world says that once you’re dead, you’re always dead, etc., etc., etc. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” This is not just a question for today as we celebrate Easter, this is a question for every day we wake up and walk out a day as a follower of Jesus Christ. Do you believe this?

Oh by the way, in case you don’t know how the story ends – Jesus went ahead and actually raised Lazarus from the dead. Why? Because you can’t be around Jesus and stay dead. Have a great Easter!

Having the Faith for What’s Next
By Pastor Colin

In the Navy, my ship would often go on extended deployments out to sea – sometimes for several months at a time. And since we didn’t have access to phones, calls with my wife were scarce. Weeks would often pass before we could hear the simple sound of each other’s voices. And each time, it was incredibly difficult to say goodbye – to speak those last few words. So I wonder if it was that difficult for me, what does a soldier in Iraq say on the phone to loved ones when they know that call could be their last? Everything hangs on those final words.

Jesus taught us so many great things, but I believe that one of the most important aspects of His ministry was revealed at the very end: just before His ascension, with His last words.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18b-20)

I am by no means an expert in the original Greek. But I do find it interesting that in these verses, only one statement is in the imperative tense – a command – and that is to “make disciples.” Clearly, discipleship is important to Jesus. It was so important that as He gave this final commissioning statement to His followers, He commanded them to make disciples. Notice that the command is not to make converts, but disciples: people who will both publicly declare their conversion through baptism and will obey everything that Jesus commanded to His original followers.

So does this mean that Jesus’ legacy was a mere book of rules and regulations for us to obey? Absolutely not! The Good News of the Gospel ushers in a depth of freedom and peace that could never be achieved outside of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After all, if our favor with God could be measured by the mere adherence to rules and regulations – by following the law, rather than the Law-Giver – then “Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21).

So what, then, does it mean to obey what Jesus commanded? It is to study His example as His apprentice, to follow in His footsteps, and to allow Him to continue His work through each of us in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This calling to follow Jesus is by no means a spectator sport. But fortunately, we don’t have to rely upon our own strength and wisdom. It is solely through God’s grace and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to do His work and be His disciples.

But let’s be honest. This life of a disciple is not an easy one – requiring us to have a deeply genuine faith in our Lord and His hand in our lives. It’s much like the trust of a child jumping into his daddy’s arms. And as Brennan Manning points out in The Ragamuffin Gospel, without that child-like trust, our “faith is bartered for cozy, comfortable piety… a failure of nerve and an unwillingness to risk distorts God into a Bookkeeper, and the Gospel of grace is swapped for the security of religious bondage.”

During these 40 Days of Faith, we shattered the chains of religious bondage as we experienced the power of God’s Kingdom slicing into our present reality. We witnessed restoration, healing, and breakthroughs. In the past, so many of us were numb and willing to settle for very little of God’s power in our day-to-day lives. But alas, my friends, we have now tasted the glory. And once you’ve experienced even just a slice of God’s Kingdom, the status quo simply isn’t good enough anymore.

So what now? I, for one, want more. I want to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus and I want to see more of His Kingdom power break into the midst of our reality here at the Vineyard. Will you join me in praying for this season of faith to continue here at our church? Will you join me in seeking a deeper, more intimate walk with the Lord as we each grow as disciples? It’s time to act on the faith that the Lord has been stirring within each of us over these past 40 days. This journey of faith cannot end; it must not end. For He is risen! And He has called each of us to join Him in His work. So have the faith to jump into your Daddy’s arms, because what an awesome honor and privilege it is to serve Him!

Colin Tuggle is the Executive Pastor at the Vineyard, handling the administrative, financial, and facility issues of the church. He and his family joined our fellowship last year. Colin and his wife, Lisa, will soon be starting a Home Group designed for parents and their young children, which will meet on Sunday afternoons.

The Faith of Abraham
by Pastor Bob

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him…” Romans 4:18

This is an incredibly inspiring and yet challenging verse! Abraham’s example of faith is so amazing! The phrase “against all hope, Abraham in hope believed,” speaks of the kind of faith that defies hopelessness. Abraham was keenly aware of his doubtful situation. In fact, the next verse confirms this: “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah’s womb was also dead” (Rom.4:19). Abraham was not in denial. He was obviously facing the facts of his situation, yet the Bible says he did this “without weakening in his faith”. No wonder God honored him the way He did!

How many of us in Abraham’s situation would have held on to the promise of God? Some people think that you have to be in a state of denial in order to receive a miraculous answer in hopeless situations, but I don’t think that’s true. Real faith says something like this, “I know my situation looks hopeless, but I also know that I belong to a God who is faithful and has a history of ‘moving mountains’ for His children, and I’m keeping my eyes on Him!” You don’t have to know HOW God’s going to keep His promise to you; all you have to know is that He will do it!

Romans 4:20 goes on to say, “Yet (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” From this verse, one thing looks to be certain: a lack of faith will make us waver. It will cause us to doubt God’s ability and willingness to do the impossible for us. It’s God’s desire that we be “fully persuaded” that He is able to work wonders in our lives, even when our circumstances are telling us different. Notice that this verse says that Abraham “gave glory to God” while he was waiting for God to fulfill His promise to him. Abraham didn’t wait until he could “see” what God had promised to give thanks and praise to the Lord; that doesn’t take much faith. But, he began thanking God in advance, strengthening his own faith in the process.

What are you going through right now? Are you facing what seems like a hopeless situation? I pray that Jesus will help you to keep your eyes on Him and not on your circumstances; that you would have the ability to give praise and thanks to the Lord right now even as you are trusting Him for the answer. Have the faith of Abraham!

Bob Stiles is the Associate Pastor at the Vineyard, handling all the hospital and personal care issues of the church along with leading worship during our Sunday services. He and his family have been a part of our fellowship since 2005. Bob and his wife, Leann, lead the Alkire Lakes Home Group meeting on the first and third Wednesday of each month.