This is part two of an article that seeks to discover the definition and usage of faith in contexts not pertaining to salvation. In part one we concluded that according to the example and teachings about faith contained in the Gospels and Acts, faith exerted by a believer does have an objective effect on reality. Oftentimes people appropriated the power of God for physical healing by their faith. Conversely, the absence of faith or intentional unbelief in certain circumstances hindered miraculous outcomes. We saw that faith exerted on behalf of another was also efficacious in several instances. Jesus taught that the Christian was to pray in faith, believing that he had received that for which he had asked. The one praying ought to do so repeatedly, for perseverance in prayer is described as a manifestation of faith. Jesus frequently applauded those who exhibited great faith, even if such caused their behavior to be unbecoming. All of these emphases match up with the principle found in James 2, that faith must have an outward manifestation, and also the definition found in Hebrews 11, which displays faith as being the reality of things hoped for, that is, a here and now connection to those future blessings stored up for the children of God. If you would like to view the first part of this article which contains the above information, please click the following link: https://raisedwithchrist.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/understanding-biblical-faith/ I have also created a Bible study on this topic, the links to which can be found at the bottom of this article, and also at the bottom of part one’s article. You will find two links, one to the Instructor Version, and the other to the Student Version. The Instructor Version contains the answers to the questions asked in the Student Version.
Now that we have surveyed a great deal of text from the New Testament that deals directly with the effectiveness of our faith, prayers, and actions, it is time to deal with common objections that some might raise as regards the teaching. For those of a conservative Evangelical sort of Christianity, this emphasis on faith may seem mostly to conflict with predestination and sovereignty, but I have thought of some other concerns that may arise as well. There are five of them, and we will deal with them in this order: 1) This teaching sounds like ‘name it and claim it’ theology 2) How can I pray in faith if I don’t know what God’s will is for the situation? 3) How does this teaching harmonize with God’s sovereignty and predestination? 4) This teaching is mostly derived from narrative, but I have heard that doctrine should be developed from instructive passages, such as what we find in the epistles of Paul 5) What about the passages wherein Jesus does a miracle so that people will believe, or wherein a miracle occurs but faith is not mentioned? Although it may seem like these objections are fairly strong, I am confident that even the most skeptical believer will realize that this view of faith is correct and beneficial.
This Teaching Sounds Like ‘Name It and Claim It’ Theology
‘Name it and claim it’ certainly has an emphasis on faith, but also has a tendency to take verses completely out of context and 
claim it for any believer, even if it is not applicable. As can be seen in the first part of this article, we did not take verses out of context, but instead engaged the setting in order to draw valid conclusions. The Scriptures we used are applicable to all believers, for they display general and timeless principles about faith and prayer. Furthermore, I did not recommend that people pray for anything whatsoever, but instead that Christians pray in faith for things that are included in God’s generally-revealed will, such as the salvation of the lost. As should be evident, this teaching does not have an obsession with health and wealth; instead it brought forth the evidence given in Scripture and seeks to co-labor with God’s desires. It is by no means ‘name it and claim it.’
How Can I Pray in Faith if I Don’t Know What God’s Will is for the Situation?
This is a great question that I am excited to address. I think that most Christians have wondered this. How can I be bold like those people in the Gospels when I’m not sure whether God even wants to heal (insert name here)? This doesn’t just apply to healing, but to other areas of prayer as well. First, ask yourself this question: “where in Scripture does God ever require man to know his hidden will?” Don’t spend too much time searching, though, because you will not find a verse that says this. God is well aware that we are ignorant of his secret will, yet still he commands us to pray. Prayer, by definition, is asking God to do something on our behalf. Thus, God is perfectly okay with you asking for things, even if you do not know whether such is his will. Now there is an exception: you are not to pray for things that are clearly forbidden in Scripture; but this is obvious. However, if something is within his generally revealed will, such as healing, deliverance, salvation of the lost, and blessing/awakening for his children, pray for these things in complete faith! God actually commands bold faith (please see part one). Saying a prayer with drummed-up trepidation, then at the end undercutting everything you prayed by saying, “but only if it’s your will Lord” is not seen in Scripture, and usually doesn’t get results. God does not praise these types of prayer in any biblical situation, but instead praises just the opposite, regardless of whether the individual knew his secret will. One time, with the Canaanite woman, Jesus actually applauds her for continually petitioning him even after he said ‘no’ twice. But didn’t she realize that the request wasn’t according to his will? Jesus didn’t seem to care about that. Pray in faith!
How Does this Teaching Harmonize with God’s Sovereignty and Predestination?
First, let me say that the Bible doesn’t clearly teach that God has predestined all things that occur. As you will notice, most of the passages concerning predestination are geared toward salvation, and specifically to those who were predestined for heaven. There is also something to be said for the view that holds predestination to be concerning the mode of salvation, that is, that salvation was predestined to be for those who would be in Christ through faith. But getting back to our topic, which is non-salvific, let’s assume for the sake of argument that God does predestine all things that occur, for I do not think that such causes a problem for this teaching on faith and prayer.
We know that God has set up the boundaries of the seas and governs even their waves from reading passages such as Job 38:11 and Jeremiah 31:5. Because of modern scientific findings we know that the gravitational pull of the moon governs tide, which will change the boundary of the seas, and also that most waves are caused by wind. Does this contradict the Bible? Of course not; we have simply discovered the means whereby God does these things. But if you told a Christian in 500 AD, well before these things were discovered, that the moon and winds dictate the ocean’s level and waves, he might accuse you of 
contradicting Scripture. But the scientific findings of today were true in 500 AD, even if the Christian of the late antique era did not know it. If we have discovered that God governs much of the forces of nature by set laws, is it not reasonable to assume that the spiritual matters in which God works is also governed by divinely-created mechanics or laws? We cannot say this for sure, but can soundly assume so. But there exists one more piece of evidence that supports this theory. If we know that the Bible affirms God’s role in healing, deliverance, and other matters for which Scripture also testified that man’s faith was efficacious, it must be that these two things work together. There is absolutely no way that they contradict. If this be the case, it is safe to assume that spiritual laws do exist for some of these things, and that our faith is one of the variables in the formulas that dictate them. Picture a big machine, full of cogwheels and pulleys, by which God executes his will in certain matters, and that our faith and prayers constitute various wheels and belts. We do not know the identity of all the pieces, but can safely assume that our faith, prayers, and actions are some of them.
Here is the most important part: this is only so because God, in his sovereignty, designed it as such. It is not that God is bound by these spiritual mechanisms, for just as with physical law, he can and does transcend it whenever he likes. He instead chooses to utilize these means most of the time. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have designed it as such. So our faith-filled prayers and actions appropriate the power of God because the Lord has designed the spiritual mechanism to operate in such a fashion. It is his will. Remember, he has clearly commanded the believer to pray and indicated that a faith-filled prayer will receive results. Don’t doubt that, simply because it is difficult to understand how it is possible. Know that God has predestined you to have a bold prayer life to which he responds. Believe that what he says is true. Understand that your prayers are a vehicle by which his predestined will is manifested on this earth, and let these truths compel you to seek him vigorously.
This Teaching is Mostly Derived from Narrative, but I Have Heard that Doctrine Should be Developed from Instructive Passages
This principle is thrown around quite a bit. Before I directly address it, let me ask a question: “is a Christian expected to make disciples?” Is your answer “yes”? Why? Do you not realize that the command to make disciples was given to a specific group of people at a specific point in time, and most importantly, that it is found in narrative? For the record, I am with you concerning the Christian responsibility to make disciples. I am just pointing out that the same people who will deride a teaching for not being directly from an instructive portion of an epistle will harp on the necessity of disciplemaking, even though the latter is found in narrative alone. Doctrine is derived from narrative as well. It should not be developed from one sole example of narrative, but if many examples exist, the repetitive witnesses weigh much heavier. For our purposes, we have seen that numerous examples exist of faith’s ability to access the power of God. Also, we see several instances of Jesus teaching about these matters. Even though these moments were recorded in narrative, if Jesus was teaching, that particular passage is still considered instructive, or didactic.
What about Passages in which Jesus Does a Miracle so that People Will Believe, or in which a Miracle Occurs but Faith is not Mentioned?
This issue is resolved by making some distinctions in the Gospel accounts. John seems to record the Gospel wherein Christ is seen doing miracles so that people will believe, such as the miracle of water into wine. I am not saying that this sort of thing doesn’t occur in the Synoptics (i.e., Matthew, Mark, and Luke), but that it is much more common in John. Conversely, the numerous accounts of human faith accessing miracle power is recorded in the Synoptics, but not in John. This is simply due to the different authors’ Spirit-led theological emphases, which vary from one another. That’s okay. Both are true. Just because God has created a spiritual method whereby believers can access his power by faith does not mean that he won’t work outside of that mechanism as well. Of course he will; he’s God. And as for the miracle passages wherein faith finds no mention, this simply has no bearing on the teaching. To make an assertion about faith one way or the other from a text in which it is not mentioned would be to make an argument from silence, which is a logical fallacy. So, we’ll refrain from doing so.
This concludes all that is necessary to answer these objections. If you have any more, please comment with them, and I will do my best at attempting an answer. Please take the time to consider the role that faith is playing in your life. Do you have a vibrant prayer life? Do you believe in God for great things? Do you yearn to see the lost saved and the Body revived, striving for these things to happen in both your prayers and actions? If not, you are missing out! God has granted us a pivotal role in his work on Earth; it is a privilege that possesses eternal significance. Believe in what his word says, and act out on it in faith!
At the Table 