Luke 17:5
"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith."
The Christian life is not as difficult as some make it.
One of the common statements I make about the Christian life is that it is simply common sense living. God does not ask you to be strange or to be ignorant. Anything that God asks of a Christian is only for their betterment and makes common sense for every day life.
Of all the things the disciples asked Jesus to teach them, there were only two things they specifically asked. They did not ask Jesus to teach them to preach, though they would have learned from the master communicator. They did not ask Jesus to teach them to raise finances, though He would have been the expert money maker to finance the ministry. They did not ask Jesus how to build a large church, and there is no doubt that He would have been the church growth guru of His day. Two things they asked Jesus to teach them, and these two things are the key elements to living a successful Christian life.
The first thing they asked Jesus to teach them was how to increase their faith. Faith is the first key element to living a successful Christian life. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." You will fail in the Christian life if you don't learn to live by faith. You can try to please God without faith, but it takes faith to please God.
Faith has had many good definitions that one could quote, but maybe the best I have heard is that faith is stepping out on the unknown believing that God has already come through. It takes faith to succeed in the Christian life. Every part of the Christian life must be lived by faith. If you don't increase your faith, then your Christian life will fail.
Prayer is the second key element to living a successful Christian life. Luke 11:1 says, "Lord, teach us to pray,..." Prayer is truly where the Christian wins the battle. We often think that we win the battle out serving God, but we don't. Yes, we should serve God, but you win the battles on your knees in prayer. For instance, soul winning is important, but you will win the battle with souls if you will pray before you go soul winning. Psalm 126:5-6 says, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Certainly, souls will never be saved until we go and give out the Gospel, but it is in the closet of prayer that the hearts of men are tenderized before we get there. Don't ever forget that every Christian battle is won in prayer.
What is interesting about these two key elements is that you can't have one without the other. They both come in a package deal. Show me a person who has great faith, and I will show you a person who has a great prayer life. On the other hand, show me a person who has a great prayer life, and I will show you a person who has great faith in God. They work together, and together they will help you to live the successful Christian life. Don't live a day without these two key elements.