UNFAILING FAITH

“But I have prayed for you, that YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT FAIL; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” – Luke 22:32

Victory and Fulfilment in Life answer to UNFAILING FAITH: “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT FAIL; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Lk.22: 31-32). Faith is the Devil’s Number One target in every battle against the Believer. The inference from this text is that one’s FAITH CAN FAIL! Of all the prayers the Lord could pray, His priority was for Peter’s Faith not to fail! This is God’s Heart for all of His own. If the enemy can cause our Faith to fail, he can adversely affect our Future and Impact.

If permitted, the enemy can sift and shake a life so hard it would feel as if one’s world is falling apart! However, we’re reminded that if we belong to Jesus, when we at our lowest, He is by our side, walking with us, praying for us, guiding and guarding us, to ensure that our Faith doesn’t fail – not by self-confidence or human effort, but by His Grace alone. Whatever seems to be bringing us into subjection simply indicates the need to build up our faith in that dimension of life. Let’s examine the scriptures more closely:

Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10). In order to cause us to fall and then accuse us before God, he tries to sift us by his winnowing winds of temptation and tempests of persecution, to shake our faith and weaken our confidence and trust in God. It is the Believers – the wheat and good corn, that Satan winnows; not sinners – chaff and dross. Satan wastes no effort on sifting sinners. Moreover, the enemy often comes at such times when we are so confident of our own strength and standing, as to assume that all is well! Though the Lord may allow our Faith to be severely shaken, by His Grace, it shall not utterly fail. When by repentance we’re recovered from the trial and shaking, we’ll be strong in the Lord to strengthen others, that they may not falter in like manner.

Peter’s story illustrates the Lord’s personal care for His own. The double call, “Simon, Simon,” denotes the enormity and nearness of the danger, Peter’s insensitivity to it, and the Lord’s great affection, to warn him of the peril of a devilish conspiracy against him. The Lord said, “Satan has asked for you.” The devil’s desire was to take over Peter’s life and do the worst with it. However, SIFTING involves two main operations: The agitation, shaking and tossing of the corn from side to side; and the separation of the corn from the chaff and dust. Satan intends the former, God effects the latter. In God’s Will, through it all, the corn is improved, not impaired. The saints of God shall be no losers in the end by Satan’s temptations, however many and severe that may come our way.

Jesus pre-empted the devil by praying: “But I HAVE PRAYED for you” (v.31). He prayed before Peter understood that he had need of prayer; as soon as Satan desired to sift him! Our Lord is never late to act for our deliverance. He prayed that his FAITH should not FAIL; not that his Faith should not be assailed, shaken, or tried. It is scriptural to pray for Faith not to fail and to be strengthened (Rom.4:20). This is not about praying for more faith. Faith comes, not by prayers, but by hearing God’s Word (Rom.10:17). When the disciples ‘prayed’ for increased faith, the Lord revealed that the essence of Faith is not in its SIZE, but its STRENGTH: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots…and it would obey you” (Lk.17: 5-6).

Trials of Faith are inevitable (v.28; Jam.1: 2-4; 1Pet.1: 6-7). But in Christ, we can manifest great, strong, UNFAILING FAITH for fulfilled and victorious lives, that strengthens the faith of others!