Exercising our Faith

Exercising our Faith

Space does not permit a full discourse on the subject of faith. What can be said in this small post is that without faith, everything else in our walk with God is in vain. No amount of knowledge of doctrines or teaching will matter, if our faith not be exercised. I do not believe we can ever have too much faith, but I do believe our faith can be weakened by lack of use. For some of us, it can take very little for doubt to enter our thoughts (James 1: 6-8). This should be a clear indicator that we need to spend more time in His word and less time in the world.

When we commune with God through our time of prayer, our faith is of utmost importance. Charles Spurgeon called faith “the ladder on which my soul must walk to ascend to heaven”. Our faith, when exercised through prayer, can be a powerful weapon in the lives of those we petition for. We may not see the results immediately, but we know He is faithful and just to receive them (Matthew 21:22; Philippians 4:6; James 1:5-6; 5:15-16; 1 John 5:14).

The examples below are drawn from the experiences shared by Dwight Moody, the Chicago evangelist whose ministry encompassed the years of the Civil War. They both encapsulate the power of faith through prayer:

“I remember at one of the meetings at Nashville, during the war, a young man came to me, trembling from head to foot. “What is the trouble?” I asked. “There is a letter I got from my sister, and she tells me every night as the sun goes down she goes on her knees and prays for me.” This man was brave, had been in a number of battles, could stand before the cannon’s mouth, but yet this letter completely upset him. “I have been trembling ever since I received it.” Six hundred miles away, the faith of this girl went to work, and its influence was felt by the brother. He did not believe in prayer; he did not believe in Christianity; he did not believe in his mother’s Bible. This mother was a praying woman, and when she died, she left on earth a praying daughter. And when God saw her faith and heard that prayer, He answered her. How many sons and daughters could be saved if their mothers and fathers had but faith.

At Murfreesboro another illustration of this occurred. A young man received a letter from his mother, in which she said something like this: “My dear boy. You do not know how I am burdened for your salvation. Every morning and evening I go into my closet and pray for you, that you may be led to the cross of Christ. You may die in battle, or in the hospital, and, oh, my son, I want you to become a Christian. I do not know but that this will be my last letter to you.” Well, this young lieutenant came to me and said, “I have just heard of my mother’s death, and I have prayed for forgiveness of my sins.” This young man was converted just through his mother’s faith. Although she was in glory, her voice was heard here.”

Moody, D. L. (1877). New Sermons, Addresses, and Prayers (p. 36). Cincinnati, OH: Henry S. Goodspeed & Co.