Growing – The Presidential Prayer Team

The apostles said to the Lord, “increase our faith!” – Luke 17:5

The disciples of Jesus had the advantage of living with Him and, along life’s way, asking questions to clarify their understanding of His teaching. Those questions also impact the faith of anyone taking time to read their story. When His friends asked Jesus to instruct them on increasing their faith, surprisingly, He did NOT give them a step-by-step plan!

Jesus responded by first assuring the His followers that it only takes a minuscule amount of faith to do something amazing, like commanding a mulberry to be uprooted and planted in the sea. Next, He gave them an example of a wealthy man and his servant to consider. He asked them, does the worker change his position by merely doing his duty? Jesus makes a significant point there – faith is not based on your work, it is based solely on the status and position of the One you work for!

Knowing God, in His mercy and unmerited grace causes you to understand how deep His love is for humankind and how secure your place is with Him in that love. Humility before the Father is the first step of real faith. And the second is realizing you cannot work hard enough to stop needing His mercy. When you read the Bible and pray to know your loving Creator better, you discover His character in new understanding through His Son, and your faith WILL increase.

Pray God’s people across America, including believers in Congress, will dedicate themselves to knowing Him better this year. Watch your faith grow, as you read your Bible daily with the intent of discovery.

Today’s Verse: Luke 17:5

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: 2 Peter 1:3-8

³His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.