The Relationship Between Prayer and Faith
When read in very small chunks, Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, yields so many subtle wrinkles and wonderful insights. This morning, I happened to read 10 short verses, Matthew 21:18-27, in which the Holy Spirit allowed me to see a deeper contour that I had not considered much before. Specifically, I was brought to ponder the intimate relationship between prayer and faith. Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:19) In this short section, Jesus begins teaching His disciples by announcing the power of faith to cause fig trees to wither and mountains to move. Most Christians are aware of this basic teaching of Christ on the virtue of faith. However, the next sentence provides depth of understanding that is less often considered. Jesus states: "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith" (Mt 21:22). Quite clearly, the power of faith must be coupled with prayer, as it seems that the two are mutually cultivated. The...