Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”
Before we can pray the prayer of faith and be assured that we will have our prayer answered, there are several issues that need to be addressed first. And so in this section we look at what those issues are and how to address them. In this section we want to discuss the impact that walking in love has on the effectiveness of the prayer of faith. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to the Christian’s walk of faith is when they walk contrary to the Lord’s commandment of love. In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul teaches us that faith works through love. In other words if the believer is not walking in love, then their faith cannot work. And so clearly it becomes self evident that believers walking outside of love will not receive results if they attempt to pray the prayer of faith.
1 John 3:18-22 “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (19) And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. (20) For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle John teaches us the same truth that Paul did, for he links our prayer of faith to our hearts not condemning us. So what does that mean? In this passage, John explains that if the believer is walking outside of love then their hearts will condemn them, thus negatively impacting their confidence toward God. In other words their faith cannot work. John goes on in this passage to explain that if the saint is walking in love then their heart will not condemn them and they will have confidence before God. In other words their faith will work and they are thus able to pray the prayer of faith, for John goes on in this passage to teach us that they will receive whatever they ask of God.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments