17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Hope is good only when substantiated by faith. Hope without the substance of faith is hopeless. Hopeless hope is that which is unsubstantiated by faith, so it keeps hoping and never arrives. Hope is futuristic but faith is in the now. Faith seizes hope and makes it present tense. Faith is the foundation and assurance of hope. In praying the prayer of faith effectively, hope must be substantiated by faith, which draws on the substance of God’s Word. Only then can you pray from the substance of faith, with a desire to release the substance which you have received of God’s Word into physical manifestation. You must have total confidence in God’s ability to perform His Word, so when you pray the prayer of faith, you are praying from an absolute trust position in God and in His Word. In praying the prayer of faith, we must understand that faith calls those things that be not as though they were. The Bible tells us in Romans 4:17, that Abraham believed in God, even God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that be not as though they were. God is a faith God, so when you pray the prayer of faith, you are praying from confidence in God, calling those things that be not as though they were. The prayer of faith is a potent kind of prayer, that is, releasing into physical manifestation the things that you’ve already received in the spirit.
In 1 Kings 18:1, when God spoke to Elijah that he was going to give rain, Elijah made an announcement of abundance of rain to the King of Israel. Afterwards, Elijah went to Mount Carmel and he cast himself on the mountain and he began to pray. Now, God had spoken to him, God had given him His Word that He was going to give rain, then Elijah began to pray from that which God had said to him, which was the substance of his faith and confidence in God and he prayed that into physical manifestation until he saw the sign in the cloud, the little cloud out of the sea, the size of a man’s hand or fist and then he stopped praying. He knew that which God had said to him had come into physical manifestation. So, the prayer of faith is the prayer you pray from the done deals of God and you’re declaring those things with intensity and desire into physical manifestation. You’re propelling the substance of God’s Word in your spirit into the physical realm. You are calling those things that be not as though they were. That’s the prayer of faith.
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that I am of faith and I pray the prayer of faith with power and authority as I call those things that be not as though they were. Thank You Heavenly Father! Amen!
Further Meditation:
1 Kings 18:1-2; 1 Kings 18:41-46.