Praying in Faith

(Taken from Prayer Posse)

Hearing God’s voice is a key in prayer. Communion with God is a key to unlock Heaven’s blessings. When you pray, you must pray in faith. Prayer without faith is like a key sitting in a locked door. Unless it is turned, the door will remain locked. James 1:2-8 says we are to ask in faith. It also says that a man who doubts won’t receive anything from God. Doubting means you don’t really believe. Faith is a person – Jesus. When you come to God you must come in the person of Jesus.

What is faith? Faith is believing you have something before you have it. For example, my husband, Roger, bought a new tractor. When he ordered it he picked the color, size and options he wanted and then paid for it. Now at the time they didn’t have the tractor sitting there in the lot, but they took his money and called the factory and began making our tractor. From that moment, did Roger own a tractor? Yes! He not only ordered it, he had bought and paid for it. Just because it wasn’t sitting in our driveway doesn’t mean he didn’t own that tractor. He was waiting for it to be made. When it was finished, they delivered it to us. Faith is like buying that tractor. You believe you have it before you actually get it.

Faith is confident that what I have asked for is mine, no matter if it looks like what I prayed for isn’t true. Did Roger worry about whether he owned a tractor? No. Did it appear to the neighbors that he owned a tractor? No, but Roger knew in his heart he owned a new tractor. That faith helped him to be patient until it was sitting in the driveway.

There are two kinds of faith. There is natural faith and there is Bible faith (which is Jesus’ faith). Everyone has natural faith. You have faith every morning the sun will come up. That’s natural faith. Hebrews 11:1 talks about Bible faith (Jesus’ faith), which is believing with your heart (Romans 10:10). Mentally agreeing in your mind that God’s Word is true is not enough. Many people believe in their mind that God’s Word is true, but that doesn’t mean they believe in their heart. Just believing with your mind doesn’t get the job done. It’s heart faith or Jesus’ faith that will get the answers from Heaven you need. Mark 11:23, 24 says, “…shall believe IN HIS HEART and shall not doubt IN HIS HEART….” You can doubt in your head and still have faith in your heart.

At one time I had a fever of 103 degrees. I had prayed and believed I was healed. My body still had a temperature and I still didn’t feel well. My husband came in and asked if I would like to go out for supper. Hmmm? I said, “Yes,” because I believed I was healed. Soon it was time for supper, and still, my circumstances had not changed. My head told me I was sick and did not feel well. “After all, Shelly, you ARE running a fever.” I have learned not to ask my head what it thinks. I checked with my heart and it reminded me of 1 Peter 2:24 – by His stripes I’m healed. My heart was still believing even though my head was doubting. We did go to the restaurant for supper and after I began eating, the fever left and I went home well.

Natural faith will sometimes doubt. Jesus’ faith never gives in. It will always believe what God has said in His Word. Faith is always willing to believe it before it actually sees it.

How can I tell if I have Jesus’ faith or if I’m just agreeing with my head and hoping? Real Bible faith (Jesus’ faith) always believes I have it NOW! If you’re just praying and hoping, you’ll be wondering why you don’t see your answer, or you will be believing your answer IS COMING. There is a difference in believing I have already received it and I am receiving it. Hope will not do in prayer what faith will do. Hope doesn’t move God. Getting in agreement with His Word and receiving it does. Hope is always trying to get it; faith says I have it.

God’s way of doing things is that you know in your heart (your spirit) that you have the answer BEFORE you see it. If you are believing you are GOING TO GET your answer, you are hoping. Hope is a good waiter, but not a good receiver. If your answer is in your future, it will stay in your future. If it’s not NOW, it’s not faith!

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