1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) :sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) :complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
— on faith : without question
Tonight I prayed what may have been the hardest prayer of my life. And I typed it as I was praying, because I was praying with someone... for someone, so I typed it for them. I want to share this prayer with you, I'll leave out the name, but I think we could all use a little bit of this prayer...
Father, I fall before you, my heart aching for ___. I see so much of you and your love and your beauty in him, but he doesn't see it, he doesn't know how to really aceept you and let you be God of His life and his heart. But he needs you to help him see that and understand that. You tell us that Faith is a gift from you, none of us would understand and have faith if you didn't grant it to us, so that we can't claim and glory or make any boast. so we need you god... we need your faith. I know i'm not perfect and i always needs a greater strength in my faith. i need you. and ___ needs you too. he wants it, but he's scared and it's hard and he needs you to help him open up and try. to soften his heart, to understand the faith he sees in me... he needs that beautiful grace that you give me every single day. you are my reason, and i'm sorry i don't live more honorably, i am so thankful for the love you have for me, and that you grant me to share with everyone, use that love to continue showing ___ who you are and that you CAN be his father and savior too. let me show him what it means to trust you, even when things are hard. if that means leading me into trials so i can be an example, i will praise you for your refining love.. thank you god for your love and yoru grace, please shower it on ___, please soften his heart and grant him faith.
Ok, as I said, one of the hardest prayers of my life. Besides the entire subject matter being something that my heart aches about... it was the hardest because of the part in bold. It's been a long time since my desire for God, for His kingdom, has been so strong that I would ask for trials. But it is worth it, and it is a blessing. And I will count it joy. :]
As for the entire subject matter of the prayer... and of this blog... Faith. (A Lot of passages, I know. Stick with me, Read those you want, I will get to a point)
Acts 15:9
He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
Romans 3:21-23
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:28
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Ephesians 2: 4-10
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 Timothy 1:14
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
James 2:5
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
There are Certain Aspects of Faith that I think we forget to reiterate to people. Salvation/Grace comes through Faith alone... but on top of that, That faith is not our own! We have faith because God grants it to us. And sometimes I find myself on my knees, begging for greater faith because I'm just not feeling it. I know it's there, but I know that it could be so much more! I'm not the first or the last I'm sure, in Luke we see confirmation...
Luke 17:5
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
The apostles asked for an increase in faith, what's to make me better than any other person and deny what I need. This is why, with my friend, that's what he is doing. He wants faith, and so he is praying for it.
One passage I thought the most accurate and true for where I am right now... what I want to say to this friend and shout to the entire world...
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
I'm no scholar, I'm simply a girl in love with her awesome creator, and I want to share that love and an awesome God with those I love in my life.
Thanks to those of you who read the entire thing, your time and input means a lot to me. :]
oh, and I think I found a new "life verse..." simply because it is the verse that most accurately describes who I am at my very core... you all will remember the blog about love, true?
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Good Night <3
