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Faith, How Can We Have It

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So, there was a time recently that I was praying and pondering.  I was thinking about prayers of faith, or at least prayers that I feel are “of faith.”  I should probably confess up front though that this post isn’t so much about faith, but about what it’s teaching me.  Maybe you’ll see something familiar here yourself.

Have you ever prayed when you didn’t really feel like the prayer was anything very special?  But, then something full out supernatural happened, like a divine healing?  Maybe you’ve prayed at other times with all the earnestness of your heart and all the faith you could muster?  You were sure the answer would come, but it didn’t… or at least not immediately.

I’ve done both.  Has that happened to you also?  So, that’s what I was pondering this particular morning.  And, given the promises to us in scripture, I’m asking what makes a “prayer of faith” a prayer of real faith?

I’ve thought (maybe with my western thinking) that I know what faith is.  We are told that without it, it is impossible to please God, but that with even small faith, mountains can move.  But, how can we have it?  The whole kingdom works by faith; and as it turns out, faith works… by love.  “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith working through love.” Gal 5:6.

So, on this particular morning, New Hope was in the midst of preparations for a fund raiser.  We were approaching businesses about supporting us, and naturally, I wanted to be praying in faith.  What does love look like in a situation like that?  I decided that “love” would feel regret if a business declined, because that business or person had missed an amazing blessing.  “Love” would feel badly about what THEY missed, not about what I or New Hope missed.

I have to confess, that’s not my first reaction.  As such, I suppose it’s only fair to say that “love” isn’t my first reaction.  And, on this fine morning, I was contemplating how my life might be different, how the world around me might be different, what miracles I might see, what lives I might be trusted to touch, and what amazing provision might come if only “love” was really my first reaction.

The Father’s goodness… it just isn’t like our goodness.  His love just isn’t like our love.  He is fully those things.  I can only try to be like Him.  “Father, make my goodness like your own.  Make my love as fierce as yours.  Teach me how to bless.”  We’re in a world that needs miracles, and a world that needs love in such a bad way.

Art HeathcockFaith, How Can We Have It

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