Teach Me to Pray - Week #15: The Faith that Appropriates

Mark 11:22-24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

"What a promise - so large, so divine, that our limited understanding cannot take it in. In every possible way we seek to limit it to what we think safe or probable instead of allowing it just as He gave it in all its quickening power and energy. Faith...is the ear that has heard God say what He will do, the eye that has seen Him doing it. Therefore, where there is true faith, the answer MUST come."

At the heart of true prayer (faith-filled prayer) is worship of the one true God Who is able and Who will bring to pass what His mouth has spoken. Murray makes two striking statements related to faith in prayer:

1. "Faith is so wholly the work of God's Spirit through His Word in the prepared heart of the believing disciple that it is impossible that the fulfillment should not come. Faith is the pledge and forerunner of the coming answer." When I read this, I was struck with the phrase, "Faith is so wholly the work of God's Spirit..."; in a sense this truth is liberating because if taken hold of, it releases us from trying to find faith in ourselves or in others. Romans 10 says that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ, not by trying to make it up artificially. It comes as we hear Him in His Word.

2. Speaking of Jesus' use of the word "whatever" in Mark 11, Murray says, "Faith is to have its food and strength in this 'whatever'; if we weaken this, we weaken faith...The only condition is what is implied in the believing. Before we can believe, we must determine God's will with certainty...When once we believe, nothing will be impossible..." Again Murray points us away from ourselves to God, helping us to fix the eyes of our heart on Him rather than on our limitations. When our gaze is primarily on human limitations and weaknesses, then it's a given that we will need to "dumb down" the promise of "whatever" that Jesus makes.

Murray goes on to distinguish between prayer related to the daily needs of life and the prayer of faith: "As children we make known our desires in the countless areas of daily life and leave them to the Father to give or not to give as He sees best. But the prayer of faith that Jesus speaks of is something different, something higher."

The prayer of faith takes its stand on a promise that the Holy Spirit has quickened to us; once we have the assurance of the Lord's will concerning something, then we are to believe that we have received it. "The receiving or accepting of an answer to prayer is just like the receiving or accepting of Jesus or of forgiveness; it is a spiritual thing, an act of faith apart from feeling...I believe that I have it; I hold it in faith. I thank God that it is mine."

What I ask for is mine now even though I don't yet see it manifested in the visible. Then the question is whether I should continue to ask or to quit asking; Murray says there are times when we sense that we no longer need to ask for the fulfillment of the request but we simply continue in praise and thanksgiving for the answered prayer. However, there are other times when our faith is still being tested and strengthened through persevering prayer, and in such a case we continue to ask in faith.

"God alone knows when everything in and around us is fully ripe for the manifestation of the blessing that has been given to faith...Through faith and patience we inherit the promises. Faith says most confidently, 'I have received it.' Patience perseveres in prayer until the gift bestowed in heaven is seen on earth. 'Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.' Between the 'have received' in heaven and the 'will have' on earth is the link (of) believing praise and prayer."

Oh Lord, thank You for Your unbelievable desire to give Your children whatever we ask! We believe; help our unbelief...Open the eyes of our heart to see You in Your power and love and to hear Your words and promises that You quicken to us. Give us faith to take hold of Your words and perseverance to stay true to what You have said. Thank You, wonderful Lord!