Faith Breaks Into Prayer

Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Mark 11:20-24

The narrative under consideration today begins with an observation from the disciples about the cursed fig tree (see 11:12-14). It is on this occasion that Jesus launches into a lesson on the subject of prayer. As the disciples needed to be taught about prayer, we also need to be taught. So often, our prayers are prayerless. So often, we merely utter the words and do not connect and employ the great lesson Jesus offers in this narrative. That lesson is relatively simple, but it is hard to do. What is that lesson? That our prayers must be connected with faith and belief that the God to whom we pray can do "exceedingly, abundantly, beyond anything we ask or think." Prayer is not merely a moving of the air across our lips, nor is it simply contemplative thought. It is an expression of faith that states plainly that our God in heaven can do whatever it is we ask. Calvin wrote, "to have faith in God means precisely that assurance and expectation from God of whatever we need. As faith, if we have any, immediately breaks into prayer and reaches for the riches of the grace of God which are revealed in the Word, that we should enjoy them, so Christ adds prayer to faith...The true test of faith lies in prayer." (83). McKim adds, "Faith believes, with assurance that through prayer God will provide what we need. Faith gives way to prayer as it reaches for the blessings of God's grace, which are revealed in the Scriptures. Calvin also adds, "the truest test of faith is whether it goes on to be expressed in prayer."

There are many things to pray for in our world. There are also many things to pray for ourselves. We know that we can count on God to give us what we pray as we pray in faith, believing that he can accomplish what we ask. There are many things to pray, knowing that they are agreeable to his will. We are to pray for a holy life before God. We are to pray for a heart that is warmed with the affections for Christ. We are to pray for a greater measure of God's Spirit that we would then love him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as we love ourselves. We are to pray for our daily bread and the many needs that God has promised to supply. We are to pray for the increase of the church and the kingdom of God. We are to forgive others as we pray. All of these items - and many more -- are all agreeable to God's revealed will. Yet, there are many other things we pray that we do not know, with certainty, that God is willing to do what we ask. Yet, as in that earlier list of things, we must still pray, believing that God can. Prayer is an exercise of faith, and a prayerless life is a lack of faith. So, we turn to our God in heaven, in faith, believing that he is for us and able to do what is most needful for us regardless of the answer he brings.