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.
