CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 673

“Standing on Faith”

John 6:5-9 (NKJV) Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” … Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

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Jesus knew what He was about to do yet He chose to teach His disciples through an object lesson. He gave them a problem to solve: ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ He asked. The bible tells us about Philip and Andrew’s response to the question. Their responses can be categorized in a couple of ways that we can all relate to:

The Practical Response: Phillip spoke up in much the same manner as most of us would today. He seized on the operative word ‘buy’ in Jesus’ question and realized from a very practical point of view that their cash reserves were no where near the amount required to purchase bread for them all. It did not occur to Phillip at that moment to pray or seek God. He approached the problem first from his human perspective and capabilities.

It is natural for us to approach everyday problems from what we know how to do. After all it is God who gave us the knowledge, skills, and abilities to solve everyday problems. It is up to us to give Him the glory for this ability. This is where we can get tripped up. The pridefulness of our flesh begins to edge God out of the equation and we become puffed up and seek the glory for ourselves for what we are able to accomplish. Scripture teaches us that this pride will bring about our fall. In order to remain standing firm we must always stand on faith in God and not in our own abilities.

The Faith Response … BUT: In the same context, Andrew spoke out with a bold faith statement: “There is a boy here with a few loaves and a couple of fish.” Andrew was on a roll. If only he had stopped speaking then. But in the next breath, Andrew knocked the legs out from under his bold faith statement with: “But what are they among so many?”

When we are faced with impossibility and helplessness it is natural that we pray to God trusting that nothing is impossible with Him. Yet again our human intellect is vulnerable to attacks from Satan who rises up in the next moment and seeks to undermine our faith. I recall praying with a dear sister in Christ for her son’s healing. Sometime later that day she told me that her son was all right and the doctors could find nothing wrong. I responded aloud with ‘Praise the Lord!’ However, the thought immediately entered my mind that perhaps there had been nothing wrong with him in the first place. How easy it was for the enemy to rise up and knock the legs out from under my faith.

Pray for the spiritual strength of faith that comes from close communion with Jesus Christ. It is in His abiding presence that our faith grows over time. Pray to keep your faith legs under you, standing firm and confident in God.

Close in prayer, thanksgiving & rededication of your work to the glory of God