Psalm 112.6-7

For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 

How Should We Pray for Faith?  | by Vincent Alsop (c. 1630-1703)

1. Pray that God would so establish you in the truth, that you may not be blown away with every wind of doctrine.

It is our great interest to pray and strive that we may reach such a clear, distinct, coherent light into the doctrine of the gospel that every small piece of sophistry may not perplex and stagger our belief of it.

2. Pray that God would establish you in the truth of His promises, that your faith may not be shaken with every wind of providence. 

We are apt to have our hearts tossed by contrary dispensations. Pray that God would increase and strengthen our faith; that we may be so firmly built upon the unmovable Rock, that we may “not be afraid of evil tidings,” having our “hearts fixed, trusting in the Lord.” And this was the glory of Job’s faith — that though God should “slay” him, yet would he “trust in him.”

3. Let us pray and strive that God would so settle and establish us in love to himself, that no blast of afflictions from his hand may cool the fire of divine love in our hearts.

We want exceedingly the faith that God carries on a design of love under all his various, and sometimes seemingly contrary, dealings with us. He can love and correct; why then cannot we love a correcting God? Whether he wounds or heals his love is the same; and why not ours? Can we not love God upon the security of faith that he will do us good, as well as upon the experience that he has done us good?

4. Pray we and strive that God would so settle and establish us in our inward peace, that no wind of temptation may overthrow it.

It is a slender and ill-made peace which every assault of the tempter dissolves. The Psalmist stood upon a firmer bottom, when the terrifying onsets from without made him fly more confidently to his God: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in you.” And we have God’s own promise to answer our faith: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.”

Today’s Readings
Deuteronomy 23 (Listen – 3:10)
Psalms 112-113 (Listen – 1:49)

*Today’s devotional is abridged, and language updated from, “What is That Fulness Of God Every True Christian Ought To Pray and Strive to be Filled With?”

Questions of Faith
Part 4 of 5, read more on TheParkForum.org