Praying in Faith

by

Bible Reading

  • Genesis 22
  • Matthew 21
  • Acts 21

Devotional Thoughts

The story of Abraham and Isaac is an incredible challenge to walk by faith. Would I have had the faith to believe God like Abraham did? God had promised him a son. Through that son (not the one Abraham fathered by his own effort), God had promised to make him a great nation. But, before Isaac is old enough to father a son himself, God tells Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… offer him as a sacrifice to me as a burnt sacrifice!” (Gen 22:2)

What? But God, he is the promised heir! You said you would make a great nation out of him. How are you going to do that if he’s dead?

Hebrews 11:19 gives a little insight into Abraham’s thinking, and his faith. Abraham was so confident in God’s promise that he figured that even if he killed Isaac, that means God would just have to raise him from the dead!

God commended Abraham for his faith. Gen 22:16-17 “I make a vow by my own name, I will richly bless you. Because you did this and did not keep back your only son from me. I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore…”

In Acts Acts 21:10-14 we see a window into Paul’s faith. Paul was so determined to share the message of Christ. The prophet made it clear that if he went he would be bound and thrown in prison. All his friends tried to persuade him not to God. But just like the apostles in Acts 5:29 who said, “We must obey God rather than man,” Paul chose to go to Jerusalem, in faith.

Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt 17:22) you can move mountains. And again in Matt 21:21 Jesus said, if you believe without doubt, you will be able to do greater things than Jesus did.

2 Cor 5:6-8 reminds us that “We walk by faith and not by sight. While we walk by faith, we make it our aim to please God, that God will be seen, known, and loved by what they see in us!

Declarations

  1. With God nothing is impossible. (Gen 18:14; Luke 1:37) I want the kind of faith that can curse fig trees and move mountains. God, grow my faith.
  2. Today I claim the promise that when I come to you in believing faith, you can and will do, through me, the kinds of things Jesus did. So, what do I need to believe you for today?
    1. Our orientation family’s paperwork to be processed so they can join this class.
    2. Our employees to be open to hearing and understanding the truth.
    3. Revision of this program to equip and enable missionaries to be effective church planters who stay for the long haul to fulfill what you called them here to do.
    4. My children to walk with God and serve Him with their lives on the mission field.
  3. I also claim the truth of 1 John 4:12 that as I live out the love of God by faith, others will see God’s love through me and be drawn to him.
  4. Today I determine to proclaim the message God has given me (like Paul did in Acts 21:10-14) with confidence that God will do the work through me. God, you are the one who will move mountains in peoples lives. I claim that by faith in you, not faith in my faith.