But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

                                                                                                                   James 1:6 

Faith is essential in our salvation but it also plays a practical role in our daily Christian life. As we pray, we are to pray in faith. So what does it mean to pray in faith? When we pray, we are to couple those requests with a strong belief that God not only hears us but that He will answer us as well. Although prayer is not specifically mentioned in the following passage, consider what it says about God’s provision:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. 

                                                                                                               Isaiah 40:28-29 

I believe that the request for this spiritual strength is implied. When we get tired and when we lack the strength that we need to move forward in God’s plans for our lives, He provides this supernatural power to us. He never tires of our asking and He never grows weary with our humanness. All we need to do is ask. But there is more: 

Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait (expectantly) for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

                                                                                                                 Isaiah 40:30-31 

The word “wait” (sometimes translated “hope”) doesn’t mean that we just sit around and hope that something will happen. This kind of waiting can be defined as “being expectant” of the answer to our prayer. Much like waiting at a train station, we wait expectantly, fully believing that our train will arrive soon. This expectation of the on time arrival is based on past experience with the train lines. As we begin to see the pattern of the trains, our faith in the train schedule and the timely arrivals begins to grow. Similarly, when we walk with God, we begin to notice His timely and always appropriate responses to our requests. And for those who wait expectantly for God’s answer, they will gain new strength.

But the Old Testament is not the only place where we see faith and prayer being linked together. Jesus has much to say about these two indispensable aspects of the Christian life. Consider His words:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

                                                                                                            Matthew 7:7-8 

These declarations from Jesus are definitive statements. He is teaching us to expect. Ask and it will be given…seek and you will find…knock and the door will be opened. He goes on to tell us that this applies to everyone who engages in these activities, something we see echoed by Paul as well (Romans 10:12). But this is not the only place in scripture in which Jesus teaches us to believe as we pray. Consider the following:

And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

                                                                                                                   Mark 11:22-24 

Faith and prayer are inseparable and when we see them working in tandem, they produce very powerful results. Which brings us to today’s passage. James also tells us that when we ask of God, we must ask in faith without any doubting. This may be “easier said than done.” So much in this life (past experiences, disappointments, doubt, and fear) can move us away from the truth of scripture, causing us to adopt a more fleshly view of these passages. When this happens, we can find ourselves doubting the very promises of God. And James has a harsh description for those who doubt:

For that man (the one who doubts) ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

                                                                                                                   James 1:7-8 

James equates doubt, especially when accompanying prayer, with being “double minded.” This literally means “two-souled.” It is descriptive of a person who cannot make up his mind who he is and what he believes. It is the very opposite of faith. He goes on to say that this type of person is “unstable in all of his ways” and that this person “should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” These are powerful words pointing to the importance of praying in faith.

The shield of faith can be used to defend against the attacks of the enemy. When our faith is strong, we are fully equipped to go into battle. Standing firm by completely trusting God, knowing that we are eternally secure, and having faith that God will answer our prayers, allows us to effectively use the shield of faith in spiritual warfare.

Taking up the shield of faith means:

1. Understanding that our faith can extinguish all of the fiery arrows of the enemy
2. Giving us confidence and security regarding our salvation
3. Knowing that God will answer our prayers