Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Only by Faith
One of the foundational promises of the New Covenant is found in Jeremiah 31:34: "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Paul adds in the New Testament:"And you, being dead in your trespasses...he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13, NKJV).
God has promised us his forgiveness for every sin. However, this promise of forgiveness is limited to certain people. It applies only to those who have been crushed and sickened by their sins, gone down into the depths of guilt, endured the soul-searching of the Holy Ghost, and have repented and turned to Christ in faith.
Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Sadly, multitudes of Christians are not troubled at all by their sin; their besetting habit does not bother them in the least. They have convinced themselves that God is so merciful and full of grace that he will pardon them even if they stubbornly continue in sin. No, never! They have appropriated a false peace for themselves, choking off the Holy Spirit's convictions. They have sought forgiveness before their guilt could ripen into godly sorrow.
Yet at the same time, God's forgiveness can be obtained only by faith. We cannot reason it out. Christ's gift to us of his blood atonement is so deep, so gracious, so mysterious, that it is far beyond any human ability to understand. We may feel condemnation, fear, and guilt over our trespasses, but our heavenly Father always stands lovingly beside us, ready to forgive.
The blood of Christ, the love of the Father, and the Lord's desire to pardon are all blessings known only by faith. Scripture says, "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:11).
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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