Command 36 : Ask in Faith | Day 247

Have Faith That Works!

I was sitting on the upper level of Soldier's Field Stadium in Chicago marveling at the vast throng of 68,000 people who had come to hear the Gospel. It was after the Second World War, and there was great spiritual hunger throughout the United States.

During the preliminary events, I watched thick, dark storm clouds roll toward the huge open-air stadium. Just as Dr. Charles Fuller was about to begin his message, large raindrops began to fall. People stood up to leave; however, Dr. Fuller got up and made a startling declaration: "Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. In just a minute the rain will stop." Then he prayed asking God to stop the rain.

It was amazing! What looked like a powerful thunderstorm suddenly dissipated. When the message was finished, thousands of people streamed down the walkways and onto the open field to receive Christ as their Savior. I never forgot the faith of that speaker or the possibility of having the same kind of faith in my own life.

Even a little faith brings great results. (See Matthew 17:20.) Faith sees beyond the problems to the bigger perspective seen by God.

I was not the only one impacted that evening. Years later I was talking with a world-traveling evangelist who was also there that day. He told me how he had held a huge open-air crusade in Japan when storm clouds gathered and rain began to fall. He remembered the events that had taken place at the Chicago rally and decided to make the same statement to the crowd that had come to hear him. However, he watched in dismay as a growing torrent of rain forced the crowd to disband. Both of these men said the same thing but had different results. Why?

The evangelist who got rained out based his statements on the experience of another man rather than on the leading of the Holy Spirit and the authority of God's Word. Jesus performed many miraculous works, but each one was based on the will of His heavenly Father. Because Jesus was in constant communication with His Father, He knew what to pray for.

Faith is not copying a formula that was successful for others; it is acting in harmony with God's Word and God's Spirit.

I listened sympathetically as a husband and wife poured out their problem to me. They were desperate to have a child, and nothing they tried had worked. As they spoke, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind several Scripture passages, such as “Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD ...” (Psalm 127:3) and “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me ...” (Matthew 19:14). With these Scriptures came a strong assurance from God that He wanted to give this couple a child.

With this confidence from the Lord, I prayed on their behalf and then said to them, "I am sure that God is going to give you a child. When He does, I would like you to send me a picture." Within a year they reported that God had answered our prayer of faith and the wife had given birth to a child.

How often have we made a bold request to God in faith that is based on His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit? Let's ask God to increase our spiritual discernment and to fill our hearts with faith in Him.