Opening Prayer

Lord, we ask for Your help. Help us to have faith in You — faith in a lasting relationship with You, faith to answer prayers, faith to strengthen us and sustain us. Faith that will pray big prayers in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture

Devotion

On two occasions Jesus confronts the disciples on their lack of faith. He calls them “… faithless and perverse generation” and later “Because of your little faith.”

Jesus sounds frustrated after all they had been through miracles, rescue missions, and yet the disciples struggled with faith.

Are they so different? Don’t we at times, struggle with faith?

Hebrews chapter 11, is commonly known as the “hall of faith,” and it provides vivid examples of people who had tremendous faith. It also provides a definition “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV)

It takes faith to have a relationship with God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It takes faith to trust in God. Faith is having confidence that God is the giver of good gifts, that He is the Way maker, the miracle worker and the promise keeper. Faith is the assurance that we can cling to Him, the Author and Perfector of our faith. And as we see God answering prayer, providing, healing and restoring, our faith will grow. And like the trapeze artist, sometimes you need to let go of the bar in faith, trusting that your partner will catch you on the other side.

How much faith do we need? Jesus said to them, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain…” We don’t need much faith to pray in faith for God sized miracles.

Intercessory Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, You are the head of the church, and the church is Your body. Each member is a part. Though there are many parts, we are one body. Moreover, we must all perform our duties to build up the Body of Christ. We admit that we often insist on our own opinions, quarrel with each other, form factions and provoke conflicts, resulting in friction and disunity in the Body of Christ. We have truly sinned against the Lord, and we seek Your forgiveness. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we declare that the poisonous roots causing divisions in the church will wither and dry up, we also plead with the Lord Jesus to mend the divisions in the church so that it can be healed. May the Lord help us to imitate His heart, to consider others better than ourselves, and to strive to maintain the unity of the heart given by the Holy Spirit. In the name of the Lord, Amen!