“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”  Mark 5:34

Faith and prayer work together to bring success.  Faith is God-given and it resides in every individual, but needs to develop in each person by knowing the Word of God; for, faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).  Naturally, people exercise faith on various issues of life.  A child believes in the father/mother that he/she would take care of him or her, so the child has total dependence on the father/mother at all times.  People believe in the manufacturers, so they are confident to use their products.

The relationship between prayer and faith is always revealed by the Lord.  Jesus says:  “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).  While prayer is the key that unlocks the gate of blessings, faith is the stamp on the envelope of our prayer that authenticates its legitimacy before God.  The woman with twelve years of hemorrhage exercised faith, that, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well,” (Mark 5:28).  Her prayer was to get well from her hemorrhagic disease.  The stamp on the envelope was her faith – “. . . I will be made well.”  And truly, “Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease,” (Mark 11:29).  Our simple faith in the Lord matters when it comes to getting our prayers answered.  The Scripture declares, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6).  If we are to receive miracles, we need to first believe in the Lord who is the author of our lives and the power that breaks the shackles of the devil.

However, there are times when the troubled person is not able to exercise his or her personal faith, either due to disability or as a result of pain or weakness.  At such a time, the faith of others who intercede on the person’s behalf would bring the miracle.  That is why, if you are a child of God, your prayers on behalf of others are very important.  Take for instance, the father of a boy who was being tormented by the spirit of epilepsy, came to Jesus for his son’s healing.  Jesus told the father, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).  Because the father of the boy confessed that he believed, the boy was healed immediately.

Yet, there are some cases when the persons affected are unable to exercise personal faith, and there are no people to intercede.  In such situations, the merciful Jesus does the miracles to set the individuals free.  An example is the man at the pool of Bethesda with 38 years of infirmity.  What the man was waiting for was someone who would push him into the pool when the Angel that comes yearly, stirs up the water.  But year in year out, he had no one to help, and he was too weak to be the first to enter the pool.  Jesus helps the helpless! When Jesus saw his predicament, he healed him and asked him to take his pallet and go.  Are you powerless?  Jesus can help!  Call upon him in your prayer.  Call him by faith.  Jesus yesterday, today, and forever the same will answer you.