March 2017 Partner Letter

This month we want to share our thoughts with you about the prayer of faith. We understand most of you have prayed the prayer of faith for years and probably understand well how the prayer of faith works, but let’s look at this powerful prayer again today and believe the Holy Spirit will teach us something more and make our faith-filled prayers even more effective.

Jesus taught us about the prayer of faith when He said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:23-24

Of course, it’s important to understand we need to pray in agreement with the will of God. We will find the will of God in the Word of God, the Bible. Revealed throughout the Word of God are God’s great and precious promises that have been made to us by our heavenly Father. God is interested in everything that touches our lives and He has made available to all of us His full provision.

2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

It’s also important to understand there are many types of prayer (Ephesians 6:18 mentions “…praying always with ALL PRAYER [or all kinds of prayer]” and in order to pray effectively, we need to understand the guidelines or rules for the various types of prayer.  Let’s examine the teaching of Jesus from Mark 11:23-24 where we will see important guidelines for praying the prayer of faith effectively.

First of all we have to say something—we have to ask something.  The prayer of faith must be based upon the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  The Amplified Bible adds clarity to this verse.  “So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah, Himself).”  The words Jesus spoke to us are written down in our Bibles and hearing these words is the first step of building our faith for whatever we believe to receive.

When we read the Word of God, powerful seeds of truth are planted within our hearts and within the DNA of those seeds is contained the ability to transform our minds and ultimately, our lives.  As we continue hearing the truth of God’s Word, these seeds grow producing a greater measure of faith in us enabling us to believe we receive what we are asking for before any evidence of what we are asking for is seen in the natural.

Secondly, the prayer of faith is governed by the law of faith.  It is absolutely essential for us to grow in faith to effectively pray the prayer of faith.  There is a spiritual law regarding faith and we see it expressed in Matthew 9:27-29, “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” These men believed Jesus could do this and Jesus told them according to their measure of believing it would be.

Since the prayer of faith is governed by the law of faith, unbelief hinders God’s law from working.  “And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Faith is also governed by another law—the law of love.  Galatians 5:6 says, “…but faith works through love.”  Let’s look at two very important ideas about faith working through love.  Most of the time when we think about faith working through love, we think about the importance of walking in Christian love that our prayers are not hindered.  But there is another law of love that we think is often overlooked by Christians.

Katherine has often said, “If we truly had a revelation of the love of God for us, faith would arise in our hearts with ease.”  As children of God, we need a greater understanding of the immeasurable love of God our Father for us.  Consider this verse of Scripture from I John 3:1, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  …”  Just what means or method or manner of love HAS the Father poured upon us?

1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:31-39
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let the Word of God speak to us today of God’s great love for us. God is for us! He is on our side! Let our hearts cry out to our dear, dear Father. The Bible says we have received the Spirit of Adoption. Do we realize God always wanted us and spared nothing to make us His own child?  He loves us!

Wouldn’t it be easier to believe our Father’s words if we had a greater understanding of His relentless love for us? Wouldn’t faith arise in our hearts as we looked to the one who always wanted us and would make every provision for us?

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Today, let’s receive the love of God for us. Don’t let the devil lie to you about what God thinks about you. Every day our Father is pouring out upon us His blessings of immeasurable mercy, goodness, kindness, patience, provision, grace and tenderness and so much more! Let the truth from the Word of God speak to us today. Our Father loves us. He is our dear, dear Father. Let’s meditate upon His words of love to us today and really consider what manner of love is this…