The Work of Faith in Prayer

Faith’s work is to make the soul to plead with God. Faith looks to what God has promised as you approach Him in prayer. William Guthrie writes:

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24 ESV)

Faith’s work in a soul in prayer is to make it importunate in pressing for that which it prays for. Having the word of God for its ground, and the name of Christ for its encouragement, it importunately presses for the thing desired, and when He seems to say, “Ye shall not have it ;” it says, “I will not let Thee go.” It was faith that made Jacob wrestle that night with God; says the angel, “Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” And, “Moses,” says the Lord, “will ye let me alone, that I may destroy this people.” But says Moses, “If thou wilt forgive their sins; and if not, blot me out of thy book, which thou hast written.” And the woman of Samaria, say what He would, harped still upon this string, “Lord, have mercy upon me.”

Faith’s work in prayer is to undertake for the soul to God, and for God to the soul. This is the very kernel of prayer. Faith says to the soul, “I assure thee that whatsoever God hath promised in His word, that He will give and perform.” Faith says to the soul, “There is not a promise made to the Church, but it shall be accomplished; nor to itself in particular, but it shall be performed.” So that this is the work of faith in prayer, to engage for the Lord that all the promises that He hath given shall be made out and fulfilled unto them. On the other hand, faith engages the soul to wait patiently on for the accomplishment of all that the Lord bath promised. So that this is one of the mysteries of God; and it is lamentable that so many souls live strangers to God and to this work of faith, and do not consider the worth and excellency of this grace of faith. I dare say that we, His Church and people, would be as far above trouble this day as we are under it if we had faith and the lively exercise thereof. Those that have this are of all men the most happy, and those that want it are of all men the most miserable.