Prayer and Faith
I have frequently seen that the children of the Lord neglected
prayer altogether too much, especially in secret; and that many do not
exercise that faith which is their privilege and duty, and often wait for
that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith, but the
two are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feelings, and the
blessing, is God’s to give. The grace of God comes to the soul through
the channel of living faith, and that faith it is our power to exercise.
True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before
it is realized and felt. I have seen that we must send up our petitions
in faith within the second vail, and have our faith take hold of the
promised blessing, and claim it as ours. And we are then to believe
that the blessing is ours, and that we receive it, because our faith has
hold of it, and according to the Word it is ours. “What things soever
ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them.” Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing,
even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and
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enjoyed, faith is swallowed up. But many suppose they have much
faith when sharing largely of the Holy Spirit, and that they cannot have
faith unless they feel the power of the Spirit. Such confound faith with
the blessing that comes through faith. The very time to exercise faith
is when we feel destitute of the Spirit. When thick clouds of darkness
seem to hover over the mind, then is the time to let living faith pierce
the darkness, and scatter the clouds. True faith rests on the promises
contained in the word of God, and those only who obey the Word, can
claim the glorious promises contained in it. “If ye abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you.”
John 15:7
. “Whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because
we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in
his sight.”
1 John 3:22
.
I have seen that we should be much in secret prayer. Christ is the
Vine, we are the branches. And if we would grow and flourish in the
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