The "ABC"s of Prayer. "F" is for FAITH

In E. M. Bounds' book "The Necessity Of Prayer" he repeatedly mentions that there can be no separation of FAITH and prayer. To the extent that we should not even enter into prayer unless it is in an attitude of faithful expectation that God will hear and respond. In speaking of faith, Bounds even goes so far as to say that prayer "has no existence apart from it,and accomplishes nothing unless it be its inseparable companion."

Faith is the component that makes prayer effective and must precede it. This very important qualifier is identified by the writer of the book of Hebrews who said: "Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."(Hebrews 11:6) There remains then this inseverable bond between faith and prayer. So esssential, powerful and interconnected that James the Apostle said specifically that it is "the prayer of faith" that forgives sin, heals the sick and more.(James 5:15)

In the Christian experience then, it is faith that gives birth to prayer and will cause our prayer life to "grow stronger, strike deeper and rise higher." If we can begin to understand the intimate connection between faith and prayer, our prayer life will never be the same! Our prayes will not only become "the substance of things hoped for," but answers to prayer will become "the evidence of things unseen." (Hebrews 11:1)