2015.10.11_Pray in Faith

By faith we receive what comes from the Almighty God.
God is almighty. He is the self-existing One, the Almighty God who created heaven and earth and all that is within them. Everything that exists in the created world, whether great or small, have all been created by God in accordance with His will. There is nothing among those that were created which is not needed in fulfilling God’s will. And God has permitted them to move and be used according to the needs of those who seek His will. Thus Jesus said that if we believe and do not doubt, then we can tell the mountains to be removed and cast into the sea and it will be done (Mt 21:21); we can say to a mulberry tree to be pulled up by the roots and planted in the sea, and it would obey (Lk 17:6).
Christian faith life is not a religious life. As children of the Almighty God, Christians ought to live in a manner that is worthy of their status. They have to bear witness of the Almighty God at work in their lives, as well as have boldness as those who have such great privileges. When Christians demonstrate such faith and way of life, unbelievers would then also come to realize the living existence of the God. If Christians are oppressed by the same cares, worries and sense of despair as the unbelievers in the world, how will the unbelievers come to meet God through them?
The moment we united with Jesus Christ, we became children of God. By children, it means we are heirs of God who have the right to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. It is every parent’s desire to pass on a happy life to their children. Even if children do not recognize their parents’ hard efforts, parents would still sacrifice themselves for their children. In the same way that children receive such abounding love from their parents, we, who have become God’s heirs, have received every good thing from God.
Of course, we cannot witness everything God has given us with our own eyes while we are living on the earth. However if we were to enjoy them later on, we need to have faith when we are still on the earth. A seed of a tree is very small, but inside it are the tree’s roots, branches, leaves and fruits. Faith is like a seed that holds all the good things promised by God inside.
This faith is different to man’s own conviction. If you cannot differentiate faith from conviction, you will struggle all your life without reaping any benefits from it, for conviction has no promises. Conviction is a highly subjective faith based on a person’s desires, emotions, volition and will. All peoples including unbelievers, idolaters and superstitious people have such a faith. Indeed, everyone needs self-conviction in order to get through this world. However, in order to receive those which are given by God, we need a faith that is different to conviction.

Since faith came, we dwell in the blessedness of God, liberated from the Law.
In the Bible we often find expressions like “before faith came” and “after faith has come”. These expressions were used bearing in mind the Law which had governed Israel for 1,500 years or so. Previously, Israel was under the Law, not under faith. Whilst they were living in submission and bondage of the Law, they did not have faith. Finally, faith came at the appointed time, and only then was Israel released from the Law. God had put Israel under the Law until faith came. Now that faith has come, God desires all people to come out of the Law and live by faith.
If anyone understands the value of faith, he would never depart from faith after he has obtained it. It’s a pity however, that some who have had a church life for a while, are swayed by the interference and temptations from people around them and depart from their faith. One cannot please God with such unstable faith. If one falls into temptation and quenches the Holy Spirit, it is difficult for him to be restored to his state at first. The reason we have to rejoice always, pray continuously and give thanks in all circumstances, is that we do not quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 5:16-18).
For faith to have come means Jesus has come. Jesus whom God has sent is our faith (Jn 3:16). Jesus is the name of the Triune God – the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. There is no other except God who possesses this name. It was when we received in that name, that faith had come inside us. As children of God, the greatest inheritance we have on the earth is prayer. We can fulfill on the earth what God has fulfilled in Heaven because we have the right to pray. In spite of having such previous faith, if we were to waste our time away pursuing a life of ease like the unbelievers, nothing would be more regrettable.
For Israel to be under the Law in the past is much like a young child being left with a nanny until he grows up. Even the child of one’s master is led and educated by his nanny when he is young, sometimes even scolded by her too. But once he is grown, he will manage her as her master. Similarly, now that we have come to have faith, we no longer fear the Law but enjoy all the freedom, joy and power which God gives us.

Pray in faith.
Since faith came, we have been endowed with the right to pray to God. Faith is the essential prerequisite to prayer. Jesus said, “When you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Mt 6:7-8). Prayer is offered to the God the Father by His children. Therefore, even if there is no immediate answer after we pray, we must acknowledge that God our Father is going to give us what is best at the most appropriate time. In other words, though it is our duty to pray, we have to admit that answering our prayers and deciding and times and seasons for those answers are all up to the Father (Ac 1:7).
Whoever wants to deliver their prayers must come and kneel before the name of Jesus. Jesus is the name which the Son of God inherited from the Father; it is the name that is more superior than any name given to the angels (He 1:4). Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We often use the expression ‘in Jesus’ name’ at the end of prayer. Yet even if we do not say so, if we are praying in faith, then we have already knelt down before Jesus’ name and God is glorified through it. In regard to this, Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (Jn 14:13).

Pray and do not give up.
It was neither through the prophets nor the disciples when He said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do”. These are the words of Jesus Himself. We must not doubt about whatever we have prayed about in His name. It is better off to forget about what you have prayed for than to doubt afterwards, for, as long as one does not give up, the answer to his prayer will definitely be given in a year’s time or two.
Once we have delivered our prayers to God, we no longer have any right to cancel them. The answers to our prayers are up to God to decide, and whatever He decides to give us, the time and season is also up to God. Thus, if we have prayed to God, we ought to trust that He will answer us from His goodness and wait. If, in the process of doing so, we happen to come into conflict with others, we must never resent or harbor hatred towards anyone, but have the goodness of God and wait for God’s answer.
Plenty of people today tend to pray to God about a certain matter, but fail to wait patiently and give up on His answers. They even resent God or doubt the existence of God just because some things do not go as they desired. Such people are cheating God and tormenting Him. Though God is being patient with them whilst suffering such insults, His words which said, “You will reap as you have sown” will surely come to pass.
Our prayers to God will certainly not disappear. Revelation 8:3-4 says, “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” We do not pray by ourselves; we must remember that the angels are also ministering to us whenever we pray.
Prayer is a way for us to move God to work. Isaiah 62:6-7 says, “You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” In order to achieve something, there are things we have to do. Nevertheless, if God is not at work, our efforts will be in vain. Therefore, at the same time as making our greatest efforts for that which we seek, we must also move God to work for those matters.
God has given us faith. He has also given us the name of Jesus. Thus we must pray with faith. We must kneel before Jesus’ name and pray. God also keeps His promises through the faith He gave us. In His name are God’s blessedness and His power. Every answer is already within name. Our authority as God’s heirs was given us when we received in that name.
The Devil brings doubts about what we have prayed for, leading us to give up on them ourselves. However once we have prayed to God, we must entrust the outcome to God. At the most appropriate time, God will give us more than we had asked for. We need to leave it up to God rather than stubbornly asking Him to give us what we want right now. The Holy Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses and intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Rm 8:26). Instead of despairing or giving up out of our impatience, we ought to receive the help of the Holy Spirit.