Faith and Prayer

By Sandra Higley

Note: This Bible study is formatted for small group open discussion. If you use this study by yourself, we suggest that you journal your answers to the discussion questions. Also, please use suggested translations where indicated. Biblegateway.com is an excellent source for translations you may not have on hand.

A dear friend’s desperate call brought my daughter and me to our knees in prayerful sorrow. Our friend had just experienced a tragic loss—one of many—and was almost inconsolable. As we went to the Lord on her behalf, we clearly and unitedly felt the Lord impress on our hearts that we were to pray for something that was beyond the scope of our imagination—something we could not conceive was possible. But as we continued to dialogue with Him, the Lord was very specific about the lengths He wanted us to go to, asking for this thing that required much faith.

We rose early the next morning, fasting and praying and worshiping. We both travailed in prayer with an anointing we knew came from the Holy Spirit. Minutes of prayer turned into hours. At last the phone call came. Our faith-filled prayers had been answered: No.

To say we were shocked is an understatement. The instructions had been so clear, the agreement so complete. The Holy Spirit’s leading had been so strong. I cried out to God, “Lord, why did You ask us to pray that way if You were only going to answer no? It never would have crossed our minds to ask this except that You impressed it on us!”

The Lord’s response was immediate: “Do you have faith to pray it again?”

In that moment, I came to understand that the initiation, participation, and execution of prayer is all about faith. Faith is the thing that pleases Him. However He chooses to answer, however He uses our feeble contribution, none of that should be our concern. Prayer is His idea, not ours.

Faith says, “HE. IS. FAITHFUL.” That is the beginning, the end, and the middle.

Discussion Questions

Has there ever been a time when you were asked to pray for something that was out of your comfort zone? What was the outcome and how did it affect the way you pray now? ________________________________________________

Using Hebrews 11:1 as a guide, write out a definition of faith in your own words:________________________________________________

Divide the verses in Hebrews 11:3–38 equally among the members of your group. Take a few minutes to explore the verse(s) you’ve been given, identifying the faith-filled believer in each, what they believed God for, and any opposition that came their way in the process. Come together as a larger group and discuss your findings.

Read Hebrews 11:6, 13, 39–40; now read 2 Samuel 22:31 and Job 13:15. Why do you think God sometimes uses unseen fulfillment of promises to perfect us?

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How do you think this relates to Ron Auch’s statement regarding James 1:4: “[It] begins with the little word let: ‘Let perseverance finish its work.’ The word let simply means that it will happen if we don’t prevent it.” _____________________________________________________

Auch goes on to describe the chief way we prevent perseverance from finishing its work: double-mindedness. He explains being double-minded in this way: “While praying [for something], in the back of our minds we are figuring out what we will do if God does not answer us.” He adds, “This is part of the problem of living in a self-sufficient society.” Can you identify with his assessment? If so, how does this mindset describe how you may sometimes approach prayer? Can you say you are letting perseverance finish its work? Why or why not? _____________________________________________________

Read James 1:2–8 and discuss the results of double-minded prayer. _____________________________________________________

“If we ignore God’s promises to do the impossible . . .” John Robb tells us, “it is as if we have, in effect, taken scissors to Scripture.” Take a moment to reflect. Are there any verses you have “cut out” or decided don’t apply to you? What brought you to that conclusion? _____________________________________________________

Robb exhorts us to “rethink possible.” If you took that encouragement to heart, how would you “rethink possible” in the way you are praying about a situation you face right now?  ____________________________________________________

The following Scriptures list a few things faith does. Match each Scripture reference (right column) with the truth it teaches (left). How does this apply to a faith-filled prayer life? Faith . . .

Brings righteousness                       Luke 7:50

Heals                                               Galatians 5:22

Saves                                              1 Corinthians 12:8–9

Sanctifies                                        Romans 5:1

Is the fruit of the Spirit                    James 2:17

Encourages                                    1 John 5:4

Overcomes                                     Acts 3:16

Is a gift                                           Romans 1:12

Justifies                                         Acts 26:18

By itself is dead                             Romans 1:17

John Edmiston encourages us to remember that the great intercessor Elijah was a “man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17–18, nkjv). He goes on to say, “Effective faith flows out of a heart connection with the Almighty. But purely mental faith will never take a large risk.” Share your thoughts about how these truths can impact your faith as you pray. _____________________________________________________

Action Steps

Pat Heston describes the “prepositions of faith”—praying in, with, and for faith, as well as prayers of faith. He writes, “At first glance, these prepositions may seem insignificant. But each one unpacks a unique perspective, relating faith to prayer.”

• Praying in faith assumes lifestyle—which gives prayer its power.
• Praying with faith assumes partnership—which allows prayer and faith to operate in sync.
• Praying for faith assumes necessity—which means that sometimes we will lack faith, so we pray that our faith may not fail but stand firm.
• A prayer of faith assumes trust—which is grounded in the promise of God and the God of the promise.

What steps will you take to live out the prepositions of faith in your prayer life? ____________________________________________________

SANDRA HIGLEY is an intercessor, author, and editor whose journey in prayer begain in 1993. She lives in Colorado Springs, CO.