Small Faith?

Do you ever feel down because of the size of your faith? I can get pretty discouraged by my lack of faith, it seems like it'll never grow it's so small. This quote from Spurgeon really helped me, it is very dangerous to live by how we feel.

"I often hear this from young beginners in the divine life, "I was so happy a month ago, but I have lost that happiness now." Perhaps tomorrow, after they have been at the house of God, they will be as cheerful as possible, but the next day their joy is gone. Beware, my dear Christian friends, of living by feeling. John Bunyan puts down Mr. Live-by-feeling as one of the worst enemies of the town of Mansoul. I think he said he was hanged. I am afraid he, somehow or other, escaped from the executioner, for I very commonly meet him; and there is no villain that hates the souls of men and causes more sorrow to the people of God than this Mr. Live-by-feeling. He that lives by feeling will be happy today, and unhappy tomorrow; and if our salvation depended upon our feelings, we should be lost one day and saved another, for they are as fickle as the weather, and go up and down like a barometer. We live by faith, and if that faith be weak, bless God that weak faith is faith, and that weak faith is true faith. If thou believest in Christ Jesus, though thy faith be as a grain of mustard seed, it will save thee, and it will, by-and-bye, grow into something stronger. A diamond is a diamond, and the smallest scrap of it is of the same nature as the Koh-i-noor, and he that hath but little faith hath faith for all that; and it is not great faith that is essential to salvation, but faith that links the soul to Christ; and that soul is, therefore, saved. Instead of mourning so much that thy faith is not strong, bless God that thou hast any faith at all, for if he sees that thou despisest the faith he has given thee, it may be long before he gives thee more. Prize that little, and when he sees that thou art so glad and thankful for that little, then will he multiply it and increase it, and thy faith shall mount even to the full assurance of faith

Misguided Prayer

I've found that I have a twisted mindset when it comes to prayer. Do you ever feel discouraged or stressed and think that if you don't pray the right way or for the adequate amount of time that God won't hear you? I get like this, especially in times when I have a friend who is going through some trial (physical pain, stress, anxiety, ect.) I feel like I need to get this right, or God won't answer or help this person. I know it's stupid, but it is seriously the mindset I adopt without even knowing it. The other night I read something by Charles Spurgeon that convicted and humbled me:

"The prayer which moves the arm of God is still a bruised and battered prayer and moves that arm because the sinless one, the great mediator has stepped in to take away the sin of our supplication."

I was reminded that evening, that nothing I say or do moves God. It is strictly and completely Christ. God not only sees HIS righteousness but he also hears and acts upon HIS prayers which filter my own. This takes a tremendous burden off of me, b/c I am forced to depend wholly on Jesus. I am a sinner through and through and even my best works, the bible say, are but filthy rags. I don't need to worry about getting my prayer right, I simply need to ask God and rejoice in the fact that Christ is praying for me and that the holy spirit is communicating with groans that words cannot express. Lets let that embolden us to come before God with anything. If you are in Christ, God delights for you to come to him with your requests, and this is only because of Christ.