(Om Orientation) Our Weapons Faith - Part 1 — George Verwer

Let us pray. God and Father, we thank Thee for the fact that every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. We thank Thee, God, that Thou hast not only called us into this warfare against the forces of darkness and the power of self, but Thou hast armed us with weapons that are able to bring every thought into captivity and are able to conquer the strongest cities and the biggest giants.

Lead us now in this time together, our Father, for we desire to learn of Thee. We desire as the disciples of old to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ and learn from Him the way He taught, the way He walked, and above everything else, the way He prayed, the way He carried on in constant communion with the Father.

Teach us this, our God, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. This, our fourth session in this series, one of the most important sessions, because we'll be discussing not only more facts concerning prayer, but we will be discussing this matter of faith, faith-believing prayer.

Faith as the Foundation of Prayer

It's impossible, really, to talk about faith and not talk about prayer, and it's impossible to talk about prayer and not talk about faith, but two come together. Prayer is the exercise of faith, and if one has faith but does not pray, it means little, and it means even less if one prays and has not faith.

And so we realize that the weapon of faith has been given unto us, and we use our faith mainly through prayer. In Ephesians 6 it says, Yes, faith is a weapon. It's a weapon in this tremendous warfare against sin and self.

And so let us look into the New Testament. In orientation session number two, we discussed prayer and looked at what the gospel and the book of Acts said concerning prayer. Now we're going to pick up in the epistle and see what is taught concerning this great subject of prayer.

However, in this session, we want to especially put the emphasis on faith, faith-believing prayer. The prayer of faith, says James, is what really makes the difference. And so let us look, starting with the book of Romans, at what the word of God tells us concerning this great weapon of faith, and in particular, faith-believing prayer.

Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God

First of all, let us look in Romans chapter 1 and the 16th verse. Here we read that famous verse that's so often quoted when we think of Martin Luther. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The junk shall live by faith. The junk shall live by faith. But the Bible does live by faith. Upon this, into a life of faith.

What does this mean? What does it mean in the realm of prayer? What does it mean, the junk shall live by faith? Let's look now, Romans the 10th chapter and the 17th verse. Romans 10 -17, we read one of the most important things concerning faith.

Here we read, so that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This unlocks one of the secrets into the realm of faith. And how to get it?

How can we have more faith? How can we believe God for greater things? In John, seek honor, one of us be honored, that cometh from God alone. I challenge you to mark that verse down, John 5 -44, and to meditate on it, and to memorize in the light of it, that even more important than what I mentioned in my last page concerning unbelieving literature, and concerning the flood of unbelieving doctrines, I believe that there's one thing that causes unbelief even more than that, and that's the fact that men seek honor, one of another.

Men cannot come to Jesus Christ. They are not able to believe because they seek honor, one of another. Seek the honor of God. It's only when we begin to seek God and His glory that we'll be able to believe Him for great and mighty things.

Some of you want to believe Him for funds. How important it is that we believe God for funds to carry out His work. Wherever I've gone on the mission field, I've seen a lack of funds. Missionaries have come into our bookstores and they've wanted literature, but most of the time they couldn't pay for it.

They wanted it free, or they wanted an extra special discount. And everywhere I go, I find people who want to do some work for God. Many young people who want to enter Bible school, but they can't because of lack of funds.

But the problem never has been and never will be lack of funds. The problem is lack of faith. Faith cometh by hearing. May God grip us with this tremendous reality. Seek one of another. How can you believe, Jesus said, when you seek honor, one from another, and not the honor that cometh from God alone?

Yet faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And so here again we see how the word is so closely linked with prayer. And it's as we go into the word, it's as we use the word of God in worship and in praying, it's as we memorize it, as we meditate upon it, as we begin to trust it, that our faith will increase.

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Let us now look at 1 Corinthians, the 7th chapter. Turning from Romans to Corinthians, our desire is in this session to go through every book in the New Testament except one or two, and choose one or two verses on the subject of prayer or faith.

The 7th chapter, and the wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Declaw ye not one of the other, except that ye would contend for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not from your incontinencies.

Here we see that prayer is so important, that prayer and fasting is so important, that it seems to be the only reason, or at least the main reason, why a husband and a wife for a time, should lay aside their lovemaking and any sexual relation.

That they might give themselves utterly to eating prayer. That they would fast, that they would abstain from food, and from their own normal relationship, in order to give themselves to this task. Now how could anyone, after reading that verse, not realize the tremendous importance of prayer?

Who can deny the importance of the physical relationship in marriage? Our creative power, when a man and a woman are united as one in Christ, they are given a creative power, and they can create little children, they can create little babies.

This is a tremendous gift, a tremendous force that God has given to us. But he's given us another creative power. It's the power of prayer. Through prayer we can create situations. Through prayer we can create great and mighty things.

And God tells us that there comes a time when we are to lay aside this one creative power, in order to engage more fully in this other tremendous spiritual creative power, the power of prayer. Oh might God grip us with this tremendous challenge.

Might we see that if we're going to accomplish anything in Mexico, or Spain, or Turkey, or India, or England, or Europe, it's going to be by exercising this power of prayer. By exercising this power of fasting and prayer.

Oh, any one of these verses could take up hours of time. But we must move on because we want to try to get a picture of what the New Testament as a whole teaches concerning this important matter. Let's turn now to 2 Corinthians 1 .11.

Prayer as Active Partnership in Ministry

2 Corinthians 1 .11 we read these words. He also, helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf. Here Paul tells the Corinthian church that they can help him.

That they can be helping together. That they can be laboring together through prayer. If only we get a vision of the actual work we can do through prayer. Some people think prayer is sort of a passive thing.

And either you're working or you're praying. And sometimes we're serving the Lord and sometimes we're praying. But we need to realize that prayer is service. Prayer is work. Real prayer. Faith-believing prayer.

We can help others. There's a man in China. He's in need tonight. He needs our help. He's facing all kinds of tremendous difficulties. There's teams in India. There's teams in Iran. There's teams in Turkey.

There's teams in Syria. There's teams in Spain. There's teams in France. There's teams in Mexico and in many other countries. And they need our help today. They're faced with tremendous obstacles. They're faced with tremendous difficulties.

And they need our help. As Paul says, we can help them. And we don't even have to leave our room. We can help them through prayer. Helping together through prayer. What a tremendous challenge. For each one of us.

To begin to help those that are out on the mission field. Oh, no wonder missionaries have been weak at times. No wonder there's been defeats at times. It's because we aren't helping. Sometimes the missionary looks at the church and he wonders why it's weak.

And the church back home looks at the missionary and wonders why he's weak. But the Bible gives the answer. The Bible says when one member suffers, we all suffer. When one member is honored, we're all honored.

Oh, how we need a fresh grip of the vision of the body of Christ. That we are one body, yet members in particular. And that's how spiritually through prayer we can help one another. It's real. It seems theological.

It seems speculative. It seems like it's something mystical. But it's real. Prayer is real. Faithful leading prayer is more real than the table in front of you. It's more real than the floor beneath us.

If only we'd come to grips and believe God. And believe his word. We'd see the tremendous power of being able to help one another through prayer. Let's turn now to 2 Corinthians, the 4th chapter. I want to read here a description of a man of faith.

The Faithful Life in 2 Corinthians 4

I want you to think in terms of a whole chapter of scripture. That paints clearly the life of faith. That paints clearly the way of the man who walks not by sight, but by faith. Hold as many passages, and later on we'll be looking at Hebrews 11.

And 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, is also a tremendous description. We haven't discussed too often. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faith are. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

But if our gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your service for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken.

Cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We have a distinct spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe and therefore have I spoken. We also believe and therefore speak. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sake, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we think none, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our life affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal way of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Need any comment be made on these verses? What could any human being add to this infinite wisdom of God? Might we take 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and read it and memorize it and meditate on it until it becomes a burning reality in our hearts?

Faith will make it real. And as we read it, let us remember that last verse. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Within us there is a craving to know.

There is a craving for security. And we crave to go by sight. We want to see. We want to know. We want to touch. But God says, Blessed is he who believes and yet has not seen. There's something strange.

There's something awesome. There's something mighty about faith. Reaching out into the unknown. Not knowing how any funds could come in for your coming trip to Mexico, but reaching out by faith and saying, Lord, I know.

Not knowing where you go, but knowing that it's His will. You can claim it and believe it. Realizing that that or that those things which are not seen are eternal. They're more lasting than cement and sand and paper and steel.

They're eternal. Not seen by eyes, but seen by God. Oh, if we'd only realize how faith. Let us turn on now from the snare of evil. And each time I read this passage, I realize that it's faith that turns the chain.

It's faith that makes just words in the Bible become real in one's life. And in Galatians chapter 7th verse. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. And some of you have been out on a cruise date.

And you've spent eight or nine hours every day out in distribution and evangelism. As you've been up against some of the hard areas. And as you've spent many hours in the work of the Lord. I want to leave you with this verse as one of the greatest challenges of the word of God.

Persevering in Faith Until the Harvest

Be not weary in well-doing. For ye shall reap if ye faint not. Perhaps there on your little campus. Perhaps there on your little prayer group. Things aren't going so well. And there's been problems and there's been difficulties.

I challenge you to remember that chapter in Corinthians we just read. Where it tells us how unimportant the sufferings of this life are. And how it's only for a little while compared to all that's ahead of us.

And then remember this verse. Shall reap if ye faint not. Faith turns the key. Faith says as your labor becomes long. As the work becomes hard. As the trials come. As the battles come. As things seem to be going at such a slow pace at times.

Faith says ye shall reap. Faith says faint not. Faith says ahead of us there's a day of blessing. Faith says ahead of us there's a day of reaping. Faith says ahead of us there's a day of victory. There's a day of outpouring.

But he says faint not. Faint not. Faith turns the key. Not only to Galatians 6, 7, 8, and 9. But to every passage of the word of God. Every promise. Stepping out on the word of God. And saying I trust.

Our care is upon him. Knowing we be gripped with the reality of the warfare. And the reality of the fact that we have a shield of faith. Which can stop all of the fiery dark of the devil. That's from Ephesians 6, 17.

Prayer, Anxiety, and the Peace of God

So now let's go past Ephesians to Philippians 4, 6. Philippians 4, 6. This word concerning the life of faith and prayer. Be careful for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with no request be made known unto God.

In other words don't worry about anything. There's not many of us. I trust there's none of us. Never think of going out into the street now and finding some woman in the street. And getting involved in immorality with her.

And yet many of us get engaged in worry. And yet I'm convinced that worry is putting more people in mental institutions than even in morality. Worry that drains our mind and that drains our soul. Worry that turns our hair gray and turns our heart black.

God has a cure for it. He says worry about nothing. But in everything in prayer and in supplication make your request made known unto me. Oh the tremendous balance. The tremendous power. The tremendous healthiness of the life of faith.

A life in which there's constantly a song in our heart. A life in which constantly there's a spring in our step and a joy word on our lips. Because we do not have to worry about anything. Every trial.

Every criticism. Every difficult exam. Every hard financial problem. It all can be cast upon him who cares for us even more than we care for ourselves. Yes, be anxious, be nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.

And look at the result. As the peace of God all understanding shall keep your heart and mind to God for his promises. The life of faith isn't a dull humdrum ascetic landslide into oblivion. But it's a great, stirring, challenging, joyful, uplifting jump into the arms of God.

In which we can say as men of old I trust in the living God. Let us go on and look at the book of Colossians. But as we turn the page to go to Colossians let's not forget Philippians 4 .19. Just let us read it as a reminder.

We've heard it many times but faith will turn the key. But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Is God a liar? Is that put in there as a mock? Some who are listening to my voice might be concerned about this need or that need.

But God says I'll supply all your needs. But remember it's according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And I'm convinced that what some of us in the western world really need.