| Back | Contents | Next |
{The Application
Application for the Godly
The Right Performance of Holy Duties
Directions for the Duty of Prayer
Pray in Faith}
“But let him ask in faith” (James 1:6). You will ask what kind of faith is it that is necessary in order for us to prevail in prayer. I answer, not only that faith mentioned by the apostle: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV). Neither is it only a persuasion in our minds that He is able to perform our petitions or that He is ready to answer those who seek Him correctly. Neither is it only a belief concerning prayer: that prayer is God’s ordinance appointed by Him as a means by which we may obtain mercy from Him. All of these are included, but these are not all. The faith that is necessary for our prayers to be accepted is the same faith that is required for ourselves to be accepted. The faith that gives a person a saving relationship with Christ is the only faith that will procure acceptance of our prayers.
Now, this faith does three things in prayer. First, faith presents and offers up the prayer in the name of Christ. It was by faith that Abel offered his sacrifice (Hebrews 11:4). Faith carries our prayers to our Mediator, the Great Master of Requests,268 to endorse and hand to the Father; otherwise they would not be regarded. Yes, faith puts our prayers into Christ’s hand; it says to Christ, Lord Jesus, take this prayer; cover what infirmities are in it and hide what sins You find in it. Mingle Your blood with my sacrifice and let Your incense ascend with my offering. Thus let it be carried before the throne of grace; there let Your blood speak for my prayer so that my prayer may speak for me.
Second, faith depends on and relies on God through Christ for acceptance and performance. It looks to and leans on the promise of God, which in Christ is “Yes and Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Faith acknowledges that God is true and bases its confidence on this fact.
Third, faith generates confidence in the heart, a confident persuasion that God, for Christ’s sake, will hear and answer. “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14 NASB). But now consider this confident persuasion that God does hear and accept us. It does argue a higher degree of faith and brings in much peace and comfort to the heart. And if it is well-grounded, it is a good argument that the Lord intends to fulfill our desires. Yet this confident persuasion is not so necessary for acceptance of our prayers that our prayers cannot be heard where this confidence is lacking. If the two acts of faith mentioned above have been put forth—the prayers are presented via the hands of our Mediator, and the prayers joined are with at least some little trust in our hearts in the promises—then the prayers might not be rejected. This is true even if there is a great fear in one’s spirit that God does not regard our prayers. “I fear,” says a doubting saint, “that the Lord will not hear me nor regard my prayers. There is so much sin in them and so many weaknesses, wanderings of the mind, distrust, and distractions that I much doubt whether the Holy God will ever respect them. But such as they are, I leave them in the hands of my Advocate. I leave my offering on the altar; as poor as it is, it is the best I have. Though I much question whether it will be accepted, yet there I leave it and will wait for whatever answer the Lord will give.” Now, I do not doubt that such a prayer will be heard, and my reason is this: as it is in the justification or acceptance of our persons, so it is in the acceptance of our duties. That faith that will justify our persons will doubtless justify our prayers. That weakness or wavering that will not hinder the one will not hinder the other, either. Now it is universally granted that our persons may be justified even when we are strongly persuaded to the contrary. I know of no reason why the same must not be granted concerning our prayers. I take note of this for the support and comfort of many of the poor and weak servants of Christ and for those who are in a troubled and desolate state. After they have sighed out their broken prayers, because their own anxious hearts return them a negative answer, they conclude that God does so, too. “My prayers are lost; the Lord does not regard them.” Why, how can you tell that God does not regard them? “How can I tell? Why, I cannot believe that God hears me, and the Lord will only hear the prayers of faith and I cannot believe He hears me; I cannot be persuaded that God does hear.” But by what has been said you may perceive your mistake: you cannot be persuaded that God hears you; therefore you think you do not believe. Why, you may believe even when you lack this persuasion. Have you offered up your prayers in the name of Christ? Have you committed them to His hand to present them to His Father? Have you left your prayers with Christ, trusting in His merits? Can you now simply wait to see what answer the Lord will give? If so, that is the faith that will keep your prayers from being lost.
I have briefly shown you what it is to pray in faith. What remains is for you to practice it. Study the attributes of God: His power, goodness, mercy and truth. Study Christ and His office [prophet, priest, king], ownership of His people, sufficiency and faithfulness. Study the promises and the stability of them. Let your faith set its seal to all this: that God is good, merciful, mighty, and true; that Christ will be faithful in His office; that His name is mighty with the Father; and that the promises of God are, in Him, yes and amen. Strengthen yourselves here, and so go before the Lord. Let God be in your heart, Christ's merit be in your hand, and the promises be in your eye whenever there is a prayer in your mouth. Let your prayer be so presented as directed above. Let your dependence on Christ be settled. Let your confidence be raised as much as possible as you have just been directed. But whether you can attain to this confidence or not, do not fail to depend on Christ. Then see what a rich return your prayers will sooner or later bring down to you. But the person who will pray without thus believing [in Christ] must not think to receive anything from the Lord.269 If such a one gets nothing, let him not lay the blame on prayer as if it were an empty and useless thing, but blame his unbelief. The answer that God gives to prayer is always this: “According to your faith let it be to you” (Matthew 9:29 NKJV).270 And in this is included: according to your unbelief let it be to you. This is the first means or help to a godly life: prayer.
268Master of Requests: in some countries, at certain times in history, an official responsible for receiving petitions from commoners to be considered for presentation to the king. The details vary widely over both geography and time.
269The reader should note the vast abyss that lies between believing in God and believing in one's own faith. It is trust in Christ that God commends, not trust in our faith or its supposed strength.
270A crucial distinction must be made. In American culture there exists the subtle and pernicious error that what we receive from prayer is dependent upon the strength of our faith, as though faith were some magical power in us. Recall that faith is just theological jargon for trust in our Almighty God. (In other contexts, the word faith can have other meanings.)
| Back | Contents | Next |