(My new devotional has just released, Your Life With God: 30 Days of Incredible Prayer. May God use it to change lives, perhaps yours. This post is an excerpt from the devo).

Do we pray because we have faith, or do we have faith because we pray? That might be too much of a mind-twister if you’re reading this before your morning coffee.

Imagine being the father in Mark 9 whose son was demon-possessed. Things were so severe that since childhood the demon had harassed the boy, even throwing him often into the fire. This dad lived in complete horror I’m sure, watching his self-destructive son act out for years. Any bit of faith had to be gone.

Enter Jesus. He interviews the father about his son, and in an instant, commands the demon to leave the boy. The demon violently exits and leaves the boy lying there like a corpse. Jesus then takes him by the hand and brings the boy to his feet.

At that moment, the father was caught between two worlds, faith and no-faith. He shouted to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

That’s a confusing statement. I’m sure this dad was so beside himself he didn’t really know what he believed. After seeing Jesus do the miracle and his son returning to a normal life, his faith was a mile high. That’s what I call “adrenaline faith.” He saw Jesus do a miracle and it carried his faith to a new level — temporarily I’m sure.

Adrenaline faith doesn’t last long. It depends on seeing God work. We go from blessing to blessing and our faith follows. It’s a tough way to live.

We really want deep, steady faith. Instead of being tied to God’s blessings, it’s tied to God himself. Rather it being an experience connected to God’s workings, it’s about experiencing God himself.

That comes by spending time with God. And that’s what prayer is all about. You and God enjoying each other. You speak to him and then listen as he speaks to your heart.

The Holy Spirit strengthens your relationship with God as you develop a habit of prayer. Your faith grows. Instead of a mile high like the dad, a mile deep. Your faith will be well-rooted.

Let’s go back to my opening question, “Do we pray because we have faith, or do we have faith because we pray?” The answer is, “Yes.”

It’s a cycle. Your faith feeds your prayer life. Your prayer life feeds your faith. It’s far from the adrenaline faith the dad was experiencing. Your faith will be deeply rooted because you’re spending time with God.

A benefit of your prayer life is that you’ll see God answer your prayers. That will also grow your faith. But, rather than it being one dramatic instance, you’ll see God work consistently.

Try it. Go to God. Pray. Watch him work. In your heart and around you.