One Weapon Only

James Fraser was a missionary to the Lisu tribespeople of the Yunnan province of China.  He wrote the following home to his prayer-partners and it applies equally well to us today.  This is from the biography of his life written by his daughter, Eileen Crossman.  The title of the biography is Mountain Rain.

"The Lord has taught me many things lately in regard to the spiritual life.  In fact my own spiritual experience has undergone some upheavals during the past twelve months.

"Not the least important thing I have learned is in connection with the prayer of faith.  I have come to see that in past years I have wasted much time over praying that was not effective prayer at all.

"Praying without faith is like trying to cut with a blunt knife--much labour expended to little purpose.  For the work accomplished by labour in prayer depends on our faith:  'According to your faith,' not labour, 'be it unto you.'

"I have been impressed lately with the thought . . . that people fail in praying the prayer of faith because they do not believe that God has answered, but only that He will answer their petition.  They rise from their knees feeling that God will answer some time or other, but not that He has answered already.

"This is not the faith that makes prayer effective.  True faith glories in the present tense, and does not trouble itself about the future.

"God's promises are in the present tense, and are quite secure enough to set our hearts at rest.  Their full outworking is often in the future, but God's word is as good as His bond and we need have no anxiety.

"Sometimes He gives at once what we ask, but more often He just gives His promise (Mark 11:24).  Perhaps He is more glorified in this latter case, for it means that our faith is tried and strengthened.

"I do earnestly covet a volume of prayer for my Lisu work--but oh! for a volume of faith too.  Will you give this?"