How to Pray with Faith: Claiming God’s Promises for Breakthrough
In our daily Group Bible Study devotionals, we continue to focus on Growing Faith in God and effective prayer. Scripture shows that God responds to faith. Let’s get started:
Why Do We Struggle with Unanswered Prayers?
Have you ever felt as though your prayers were echoing off the ceiling, leaving you to wonder if God truly hears the cries of your heart? Many believers wrestle with a silent fear when stepping out in prayer: What if I heard God wrong? What if He doesn’t come through?
Walking by faith is seldom comfortable. It calls us to let go of self-reliance, risk seeming foolish to the world, and place our full trust in God's unseen promises. Yet Scripture shows that God delights deeply in sincere, earnest faith. When we come to Him with open, needy hearts—not polite, detached words—Heaven responds.
What Does It Mean to Appropriate God’s Promises?
To experience the fullness of what God has provided for us, we must learn how to take hold of it by faith. In Christian theology, we often use the word appropriation. To appropriate something simply means to make it your own—to receive what has been freely offered and begin acting upon it because you fully trust the character and word of the Giver.
God has not left us helpless in a broken world. Through His divine power, He has granted us everything necessary to live a holy, victorious life.
Peter writes that through God’s divine power, "he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:4). How do we move these great and precious promises from abstract theological ideas into our daily reality? We grasp them through living faith.
Understanding Biblical Faith in Prayer
Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faith is not a magical force we muster up to manipulate God; faith is our confident, heartfelt response to God’s Word, His character, and His covenant promises.
Heaven’s authority stands entirely behind what God has spoken. The Lord declared to Jeremiah, "I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled" (Jeremiah 1:12). God is actively looking for sons and daughters who trust Him enough to step out and act upon His promises. As Jesus boldly promised in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
Stepping out in faith always carries risk. When we follow the Holy Spirit's quiet promptings, we risk being misunderstood by those around us. We risk feeling embarrassed if things do not unfold on our timetable. Yet, Kingdom breakthroughs are rarely born in the safety of our comfort zones.
The Power of Earnest Prayer: The Story of "Praying Johnny"
Consider the story of John Oxtoby—affectionately known as "Praying Johnny"—a simple, uneducated Methodist preacher in 19th-century England. The town of Filey was notorious as a hardened stronghold of wickedness. Preacher after preacher had tried to minister there, only to be driven out in defeat. The church conference was on the verge of abandoning Filey entirely when Praying Johnny begged for one last chance.
As Johnny walked toward Filey and saw the town sitting on the horizon, the weight of lost souls pressed so heavily upon his heart that he collapsed into a hedge beside the road. For hours, he wept and wrestled in prayer, pleading in his Yorkshire dialect: "You must not make a fool of me! I told them that You were going to revive Your work, and You must do so, or I shall never be able to show my face among them again, and then what will the people say about praying and believing?"
Johnny made his very weakness his primary argument before the throne of grace. He knew God’s heart was to save the lost, and he refused to let go until he had the assurance of victory. Suddenly, divine glory filled his soul, and Johnny stood up shouting, "It is done, Lord! Filey is taken!"
He walked straight into the streets singing hymns. A supernatural power rested on his words—hardened fishermen trembled, sinners wept, and dozens fell to their knees. The entire town was swept into revival.
Praying Johnny risked his reputation because his love for lost people would not let him leave Filey abandoned. Many Christians today are like children holding a million-dollar check yet never learning how to cash it. God is not offended when we bring His Word back to Him in prayer. Reminding God of His promises anchors our souls in His truth and proves that we truly believe He is faithful. — Keith Thomas
Personal Application: How to Put Faith into Action
Write Your Covenant Check: Identify one specific, overwhelming circumstance in your life where you feel helpless. Search Scripture and locate 2–3 explicit promises that speak directly to God's character or provision regarding that need. Write these verses on a card and spend 10 minutes bringing them before the Lord, respectfully reminding Him of His Word and asking for faith to hold fast.
Take a Holy Risk: Identify one area where fear of looking foolish or failing has kept you from obeying God. Whether it is praying with a coworker, speaking truth to a family member, or stepping into a new ministry, commit to taking one concrete step of obedience this week despite your uncertainty.
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Deepen Your Faith & Group Bible Study Resources
To dive deeper into this message and see further historical examples of breakthrough faith, explore our full video teaching, How Desperate and Earnest Faith Can Change Your Life, on our YouTube channel, available with subtitles in 70 languages. Click the following link:
· Bookmark this webpage to browse all our free 3-minute Bible meditations.
· Read the full study online: Desperate and Earnest Faith
· Series: This excerpt is taken from the series Growing Faith in God
· Visit the Keith Thomas YouTube Channel for more teachings.
· For additional Bible studies and small group resources, visit: www.groupbiblestudy.com
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