Romans 10:14-17; Mark 9:20-24
Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 5:7
A story is told of a village that had experienced a rather prolonged drought season. The people had prayed time and again for rain and still it didn’t rain. One day it was announced that all the people would meet in the village square to pray for rain. It was believed that once they all met in one accord and prayed earnestly, God would hear and answer their prayer. A mobilization campaign went underway just to make sure that the people didn’t fail to show up. Of importance was the plea that each person was to come carrying loads of faith to ensure that their prayers reached the heavens.
A little boy had been listening to the adults speak about this prayer meeting. He had heard that this was going to be a huge prayer meeting and that people were required to come in great faith so that as they prayed God would be pleased and send rain. On the said day people begun to gather at the square and prayers got underway. The little boy was also present to pray.
As he left his home for the village square, he carried an umbrella, a rain coat and wore gumboots. “Why would he dress this way on a rather hot and humid day?” the people wondered. The little boy was however not worried about the looks the crowd gave him. His focus was on participating fruitfully in the prayers and the result afterwards. Since he had heard that all that was needed was great faith, he had come with protective gear because he was sure that it was going to rain torrents. His faith was pegged on the ability of the whole village to gather in one accord. He had heard this and thus acted accordingly, and maybe went a little overboard to envision the result of faith filled prayer. As soon as the meeting was done, the heavens opened and it rained cats and dogs.
Romans 10:17a ‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ What you hear has the propensity to build your faith or not. Consider the following: -
- How good is your hearing? To hear is to be aware of sounds with your ears.
- Hearing has the connotation of listening and doing. This means that not only are you aware of sounds, but you can actually make out what they mean – you can perceive what they mean and hence take action.
- Hearing – (listening and doing) by the word of God – awareness of sound, perceiving meaning as concerns the Truth. This will then call for action in tandem with the Truth heard.
The little boy acted in accordance to the word he had heard. The people needed to come with loads of faith for the prayer meeting. His understanding was unfounded for it is found in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
In order for one to build faith, there is need to know in whom that faith is founded. The one who is the foundation of our Christian faith is God himself. Therefore, one cannot build faith away from God. In order to know the mind of God it is incumbent on the believer to read and meditate on the word of God so as to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. This is then followed by an action, an act of faith based on what was heard.
May God help us to not only listen in passing, but more so to be keen to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying and then take action.
Amen
