Faith and prayer

Introduction
In prayer, it’s not our words, feelings, desires, needs, or sense of duty which is paramount. Rather, it is the strength of the faith which lies behind them. As Jesus said:

I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it (Matthew 21:21-2; NLT).

God’s will
Whatever we ask for with absolute faith, God will grant, as long as our request is wholly in accordance with God’s own will. Jesus well understood and accepted this, even as he faced death:

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Mark 14:36; NLT).

Therefore, if we want to pray rightly we first need to understand God’s will.

What is God’s will?
The Bible gives us very specific guidance about God’s will. Here are some examples from both the Old and New Testaments:

You must not have any other god but me (Exodus 20:3; NLT).
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind. …You must not bow down to them or worship them (Exodus 20:4-5; NLT).
You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God (Exodus 20:7; NLT).
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8; NLT).
Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12; NLT).
You must not murder (Exodus 20:13; NLT).
You must not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; NLT).
You must not steal (Exodus 20:15; NLT).
You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
You must not covet … anything … that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17; NLT).

Furthermore, we are to love God, everyone else, and even ourselves:

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30; NLT).
Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).
Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

However strong our faith may be, prayers which go against any of these foundational teachings are very unlikely to be in accordance with God’s will.

Loss of faith
But what about the terrible times when our faith is overstretched, or weak, or is lost altogether? When this happens, we can only throw ourselves on God’s mercy, and beg for help:

God, have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 18:13; NIV).

Fortunately, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit, who is always ready to help us pray in accordance with God’s will, and even to pray on our behalf:

The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:27-8; AMP).

Conclusion
When we are praying, what matters most is the faith which underpins our requests and intercessions. Given the Holy Spirit’s presence within us, and constant willingness to help us in our weakness, perhaps every prayer should begin by turning to the Spirit, and asking her to strengthen our faith?

I do believe: strengthen my weak faith (Mark 9:24; NLT). 

References

It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor – Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you] (John 16:7; AMP).

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT).

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18; NLT).