Prayer is the native language of Christian faith
Prayer is the native language of faith . John Calvin called prayer the “chief exercise of faith.” That’s why when faith is awake and surging in us, prayer doesn’t feel like a burden or an obligation. It feels natural. It’s how faith most instinctively speaks. Throughout the Bible , faith and prayer are inextricably linked. One of the clearest examples is Jesus ’s statement in John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, [ask whatever you wish] and it will be done for you.” “Abiding” in Jesus’s is faith—fully believing his words. Asking whatever you wish is prayer. The Bible tells us to “trust in [ God ] at all times” (Psalm 62:8) and to “[pray] at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18), “believe in God” (John 14:1) and ask of God (Luke 11:9). Prayer is the chief exercise of faith. John 15:7 also shows us that God’s Word and faith and therefore prayer are inextricably linked. Faith is a response to God’s word: “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word o