Focus: Praying Faith

Text: Jude 1:20

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."

Believing faith is a praying faith. Those who truly believe in God also pray to Him. Faith is a response to God's revelation. The psalmist says, "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek" (Ps.27:8). Faith is constantly built up and firmed up through prayer. Faith prays because it absolutely relies on and looks up to God.

*It's a prayer of communion

The Scripture says, "And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left COMMUNING with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place" (Gen.18:33). In the place of prayer the believer communes with his God. We also read that God gave to Moses "when he had made an end of COMMUNING with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God" (Ex.31:18). God wants us to constantly practice His presence. Communion with God emboldens faith.

*It's a prayer of commitment

From the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost" (Lk.23:46). Faith commits the whole of life into the hands of God. Faith banks on God, and He never fails.

*It's a prayer of intercession

James tells us in his book that the prayer of faith shall heal the sick. He gives us an instance where Elijah prayed first for a closed heaven and later for an open heaven, and God granted him both requests.

*It's a prayer of confidence

John declares, "And this is the CONFIDENCE that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" (1Jh.5:14). Also, our Lord Jesus Christ says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mk.11:24). Faith never prays amiss, but it prays always in line and in tune with the will of God.

Let's build up our faith by constantly praying in the Holy Spirit. Our faith is most holy, and should be treated as such. Faith and prayer belong together.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter