How To Pray By Faith
“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Ephesians 6:18
The opposite of faith is fear. Most people don’t start praying until they realize the promise of God is at stake. When God told Noah to build the ark, Noah moved with Godly fear (the fear of God). He didn’t want to build that ark. But he considered his family, and he knew there was punishment coming if he didn’t obey God, so he built the ark out of fear of God. Sometimes fear springboards us into faith moving us into our purpose. Hence, fear taken into prayer will be taken up by faith and the promises of God!
1. Prayer Motives
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Often we can come into prayer not motivated by a good situation. It is our need that motivates us, which is usually a need to bring us out of a bad situation. Hence, it is fear that sometimes brings us into prayer which moves us out of fear and into faith. The harsh reality is some people won’t pray until they are in a tough and fearful situation. Once they hit that fear wall, and that torment is strong, their main motive is to go into prayer and rid their life of that heavy burden of fear. By handing that fear over to God in prayer, they will ultimately begin to build their faith.
2. Prayer of Faith
So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24
The prayer of faith believes then receives the moment it is prayed: we believe it, receive it, claim it, and walk in it. Although we don’t see it and can’t feel it, by faith we believe it is ours. We need to pray. Prayer is essential, mandatory, an integral requirement of every believer. We are changing the trajectory of others lives and our own life.
3. The Realm of Heaven
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees (prayer). “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:41-46
The effective, red hot, fervent prayer of a righteous person makes tremendous power available. Every hero of the faith, like Elijah, were regular people. What set them apart was they learned to pray earnestly, with passion, and without ceasing. They not only changed the world but we are still talking about them over two-thousands years later. Prayer is faith in action, and faith in action creates as it reaches into the realm of Heaven and brings God’s power down to earth.
4. The Presence of God
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (Rhema) of God.”
Ephesians 6:17
It is in God’s presence where we begin to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice; that still, small whisper in our spirit. We begin by building a lifestyle of prayer where we enter boldly into His presence daily. He will absolutely speak His rhema word into our life, even when we are reading His word, we can receive His rhema and hear His voice. Whether in our prayer closet or with our Bible open, we are in His presence seeking after Him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
By handing that fear over to God in prayer, we will ultimately begin to build our faith.
Prayer is essential, mandatory, an integral requirement of every believer.
Prayer is faith in action, and faith in action creates as it reaches into the realm of Heaven and brings God’s power down to earth.
