By Jonathan Graf

Faith has always been a fascination with me. I have often felt that I had a spiritual gift toward faith, though it has not manifested itself in seeing miraculous healings and dynamic answers to prayer. More often my gift of faith shows itself in an excitement when praying for big things, or a desire to encourage people to trust God for a miracle. I continue to challenge churches and individuals in this arena because I think we in the western world have lost a lot of our ability to pray with faith. Why?

Perhaps skepticism has affected our faith. Or a lack of dependence has caused us to rely on our own ingenuity and resources to make things happen. More likely, I believe this lack of faith has to do with the demise of corporate prayer. The dynamic of spirit-led praying together has vanished in many circles these days. “What does that have to do with faith,” you ask?

Jesus talked about a connection between faith and prayer. In the story of the demon-possessed boy, when the disciples could not cast out the demon, Jesus said it was because they had “so little faith,” (Mt. 17:20) and “this kind comes out only by prayer” (Mk. 9:20). Jesus seemed to connect the level of prayer to a level of faith.

Scripture also revealed something very interesting regarding faith in Mark 6. Jesus could do few miracles in His hometown because of “[the people’s] lack of faith” (v. 6). Wait a minute. This was the same Jesus who had raised the synagogue ruler’s daughter from the dead. Now He could do few miracles because of their lack of faith. The people who knew Jesus the longest, the most intimately, seemed to be unable to believe Him for the miraculous. They knew about Him, but did not appropriate His power. Can we get like that? The less we trust Him for His transforming power, do we lose our ability to believe?

Gaining faith is a divine act. God gives faith. But, we need to put ourselves in positions where we might best appropriate faith. Romans tells us “faith comes by hearing.” One important aspect of “hearing” is listening to faith-filled intercessors pray. My faith always rises when I listen to others pray with faith. I can begin to believe God for great things as I see others do so. Without times of corporate prayer that dynamic seldom happens in a church.

King of Kings Church in Manahawkin, NJ has a miracle story of God’s provision in its land purchase and building of a new facility. It is one of those stories where we who have to build using the what-can-we-afford-in-a-loan method get a little jealous. But one of the dynamics at King of Kings is its powerful Thursday night corporate prayer meeting. This church sees a significant number of its people come out to seek God each week. Out of that comes faith. And out of faith comes the miraculous.

If you want your faith or that of your church to rise, increase your times of praying together.