The prayer of faith should be understood by every believer who seeks to have an intelligent knowledge of how to petition God. Jesus has given to us mighty promises by which to live, and wherever any sincere or valid petition is made along the stipulations given in the Bible, results and answers will surely come. In many instances, where an answer to prayer seems not to be forthcoming, the problem is most often with human agent.
At such times, instead of murmuring against God, we should take an introspect look at ourselves to see if the problem lies at our door, and if so, all the remedial actions should be taken. But one thing is certain, whenever and wherever the prayer of faith is made, something is going to happen, for there’s no such thing as a prayer of faith without concrete answers and results. Let’s read:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
First of all, we would need to dismantle some of the delusions which abound, as pertaining to the prayer of faith because for every good and perfect gift God has given us, there is one, or more counterfeits that are designed to throw us off-balance. And after the careful observation of what many call the prayer of faith, it would be discovered that the counterfeit of presumption is what actually occurred.
Therefore, the following are just a sample of some of the delusions that abound, as it pertains to the prayer of faith.
Delusion # [1]
Mixing up deference and preference.
There is a huge difference between preference and deference. Preference is what we prefer, in answer to prayer; deference is allowing God the prerogative of the last word, even if, and when it may cross with our preferences. If some insist on what they prefer, regardless of God’s input, then it’s not the prayer of faith, it is a prayer of preference.
A striking example of this type of prayer occurred as Balaam prayed on more than one occasion, in what may seem as apparent sincerity, asking God’s will in a certain matter. But after The Lord plainly revealed to Him His will, Balaam insisted on taking the route he personally preferred, and the rest is history. We too may sometimes be following Balaam’s lead, by insisting on what we prefer, and often in such cases God permits our own choices to run their course.
Our freedom of choice is always respected by God, and thus, a humble deference to the sovereignty, and wisdom of God is of critical importance when the prayer of faith is being offered. Balaam chose to do otherwise, and the results are recorded for our instruction so that we do not follow in his footsteps. Let’s read:
Numbers 23:4 Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam to call him, saying;
6 Come now, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak, Let nothing, hinder thee from coming unto me.
18 And Balaam answered and said, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them.
[Delusion # [2]
Mistaking information for submission.
There’s a huge difference between information and submission. Information is when we inform God of what we plan to do anyway. It is at such times when every providence God may send us to the contrary is usually interpreted incorrectly.
Submission is when the information we present to God is rendered with the intention of submitting to whatsoever He may think is best. Us acknowledging God in all our ways is not merely giving Him a heads up of what we have already decided we will do. For us to present to God our own plans for His approval is one way many Christians pray, but to ask of God His plans for us in a situation is entirely different.
The prayer of faith always leaves room for God to exercise His discretion in matters we may present to Him. The current practice some of have of trying to bully God into blessing them does not savor of faith. Of this sort is the attitude to hold God accountable for His promises, if they are not fulfilled in the way we deem appropriate or best. Submission is thus an entirely different attitude, one to which God grants very high esteem. Let’s read:
Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
2 But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word.
Whenever an architect submits to the county board his plans for some building project it’s with the clear understanding that the plan may be accepted, or it might be rejected, or he may have to accept several significant changes, according to the laws and codes of the county in question. Thus, he will understand that his submission to what the county says, takes precedence over whatsoever information he may submit.
But for us to plan and make concrete rigid decisions that we expect God to somehow endorse is not how submission is accomplished on our part. Giving God the last word in every area of our lives is what true submission looks like, for as many as are led by The Spirit of God, they are the sons, and daughters of God. It is God who should be permitted to take the lead, not the human agent. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Isaiah 28:26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
Delusion # [3]
Mistaking bad decisions which produce a good outcome, as being God’s will.
God often takes bad decisions and actions we make and turns them into good. This fact may often lead us to conclude that the bad decisions were indeed God’s will.
But nothing can be further from the truth, and great care should always be exercised when reflecting on certain choices we have made in times past, so that we do not erroneously conclude that bad decisions were ever God’s will. Nor should we make the error of believing that what we chose to do, independent of God’s revealed will, was the only way that a good result could have been accomplished.
God does not need us to make bad, hasty decisions, for Him to then turn them around for good. In other words, there is a right way to do good, which Christ always prefers, as should the human agent.
For example, when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, God then took their bad decisions, actions, and intentions, and turned it into something good, so that many millions of people the world over were saved from starvation. But Joseph’s brothers, when reflecting on their actions should never erroneously conclude that their evil actions were God’s will. It is not necessary for us to do evil for God to do good.
God does not need anyone to do evil in order that good might be accomplished, for there were several other ways God could have gotten Joseph down to Egypt without the trauma he and his dad suffered. The same is true of Abraham, after God revealed to him that all nations of the earth would be blessed in and through him.
Abraham need not have slept with Hagar for this to take place, for all nations would be blessed in many different ways in God’s own time and way, without Abraham taking the route of adultery. Samson slew more philistines at his death than during his entire lifetime. But it was not necessary for him to sleep with Delilah, and have his two eyes gouged out, for God to deliver the philistines into his hands. That could have been accomplished, with his two eyes intact, and a nice God-fearing wife at his side.
Now we move on to the elements involved in the prayer of faith.
[1] Obedience to God’s revealed will in His word, according to the light that has been shed abroad on our pathway. Christians the world over are often in different stages of spiritual growth, however, it is of great importance, when offering the prayer of faith, that we do so with a clear conscience, knowing that we have been following the revealed will of God as best we can, by His grace.
Genuine faith fulfills the conditions upon which the promises of God are given. Presumption, which is the counterfeit, expects great results, and answers without complying with the conditions laid down. It is for this reason that the current phenomena of so many fake healings by certain televangelists have taken deep root in Christianity. Folks have come to expect the blessings of health without following the instructions given in the scriptures. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, to do them.
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers.
13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee.
15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee.
[2] Genuine effort on the part of the human agent. God does not dispense with our efforts, because all things which pertain to our well-being, whether it is spiritual, or in the temporal realm are accomplished in cooperation with the human agent. God takes our 2%, couples it with His 100%, and together we get 100%. That’s why faith without works is dead. Let’s read:
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
[3] Praying in accordance with God’s revealed will, and in harmony with His promises. We should not form the habit of asking God for that which He has not promised, or asking blessings upon conditions other than what He has set forth in His word. To do so will set us up for major disappointment. We can be expectant and confident when our petitions are in harmony with His promises. Let’s read:
John 16:23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
[4] We must believe that God will hear and answer the prayer of faith in His best time and way. He that cometh to God must believe, for it is the only way that the promises of God can be accessed. Unbelief is diabolically opposed to faith and will essentially prevent hope from becoming a reality. Let’s read:
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Matthew 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief.
[5] We must be persistent in prayer. It’s not every time that the prayer of faith will get results the first time around. If God was to deal thus with us we will erroneously conclude that He is subservient to His creatures, and as a sure result, we would be led to presume on His goodness. Therefore, the prayer of the faithful may be answered immediately, or after several such prayers are made, although this does not pertain to prayers for forgiveness, which always receive answers immediately.
Elijah prayed once for fire, but he had to pray seven times for rain, and thus, the scriptures teach us to be both instant, and persistent in prayer. Praying without ceasing should be our goal. Let’s read:
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Therefore, with the stage thus set, we will turn to the main course of our study. That passage in James chapter five, which deals with the prayer of faith, is not meant to be restricted to healing of the sick, for the apostle, in giving us an example of the prayer of faith mentions the experience of Elijah, who prayed for rain, as a scriptural response to the dark clouds of idolatry which had overspread Israel. Let’s read:
James 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Jezebel, and Ahab were running riot with the false worship of baal, and the priests and diviners were cheer-leading the fray, whilst the ordinary people were being led deeper and yet deeper into idolatry, with all of its attendant evils. The true worship of God was in shambles, His commandments lay in the dust, and the people had come to believe that the sun and rain were regulated by forces other than by Jehovah. So, it was against this backdrop that Elijah prayed the prayer of faith. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
Question: Why does James describe this as a prayer of faith?
Answer: Because the petition was in harmony with what God had promised, and what was written in His word, so it was not a request that was conjured up from Elijah’s own imagination. There are positive and negative promises in the Bible, and this prayer was for a negative promise in response to the deeds of priest, prelate and king. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 11: 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.
Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee.
The famine starts to take hold of the land and the people, fires are ignited by igneous rocks, and the places that were once fruitful become desolate as the absence of rain takes its toll. Dust storms come from nowhere, and the people are now driven to desperation, as the beasts of the field die off, and the grass and trees wither. Then, the same Elijah is sent to bring the people to their senses.
Upon Mt. Carmel, he shows the people their sins, he calls them back to the worship of the true God, and he prays that God will respond by granting to them the spirit of confession, repentance and the much-needed reformation. The people comply, and respond in the positive, God sees their contrition, and Elijah is once again moved to offer the prayer of faith. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, there is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
Question: Why does James refer to this second round of prayer as a prayer of faith?
Answer: Because it was done according to what is written, not some wishy-washy idea that Elijah had cherished. When we pray the prayer of faith, like Elijah, we too should pray intelligently, along lines that have been stipulated in the scriptures, and God will respond by sending rain, latter rain, because it is written. Let’s read:
1st Kings 8:35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflict them;
36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
In our prayers and in our petitions, whether it be for healing or for deliverance from sin, or for latter rain, as ought to be a priority, let our expectation always be based on promises that are written; let there be persistence manifested; let there be obedience to all of God’s commands, and let His revealed will be followed in sincerity.
Let us be believing, making all commensurate effort and the blessing will surely come, for God is faithful who has promised. In view of the devastations and evils that are rampant across the land, and in view of the idolatry that has overspread us like a thick cloud, let us pray the prayer of faith, and God will respond favorably, as in the days of Elijah.
We end with a promise, which should encourage us to press our petitions to the throne of grace. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
16 And mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
God Bless!