“Believe that Jesus meets with you (and dwells within you . . . because He has promised); believe that He is willing to bless you. Turn the eye away from self (your own weakness). Look unto Jesus, talk of His matchless love. By beholding Him you will become changed into His likeness. When you pray, be brief, come right to the point. Do not preach the Lord a sermon in your long prayers. Ask for the Bread of Life (His Spirit-filled promises – John 6:27-50) as a hungry child asks bread of his earthly father. God will bestow upon us every needed blessing if we ask Him in simplicity and faith.”
– Counsels to the Church, p.294
“True faith lays hold of and claims the promised Blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second veil and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing and claim it as ours (Galatians 3:14). We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the Word it is ours. “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them !”
Mark 11:24 and Hebrews 11:1-6
Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing (the promise spoken), even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and enjoyed, faith is swallowed up. But many suppose they have much faith when sharing largely of the Holy Spirit and that they cannot have faith unless they feel the power of the Spirit. S
uch confound faith with the blessing that comes through faith. The very time to exercise faith is when we feel destitute of the Spirit.
When thick clouds of darkness seem to hover over the mind, then is the time to let living (active) faith pierce the darkness and scatter the clouds. True faith rests on the promises contained in the Word of God, and those only who obey that Word can claim its glorious promises. “If ye abide in Me, and My Words . . . which are Spirit and Life . . . abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you !” John 15:7 and 6:63.
“Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22. We should be much in secret prayer. Christ is the Vine, ye (we) are the branches. And if we would grow and flourish, we must continually draw sap and nourishment from the Living Vine (John 15:1-7); for separated from the Vine we have no strength !
I asked the angel why there was no more faith and power in Israel. He said, “Ye let go of the arm of the Lord too soon. Press your petitions to the throne, and hold on by strong faith (Matthew 11:12 and Luke 18:3-8). The promises are sure. Believe ye 
receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24
I was then pointed to Elijah. He was subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly. His faith endured the trial. Seven times he prayed before the LORD, and at last the cloud was seen. I saw that we had doubted the sure promises, and wounded the Saviour by our lack of faith. Said the angel, “Gird the armor about thee, and above all take the shield of faith; for that will guard the heart, the very life, from the fiery darts (lies – John 8:44) of the wicked.”
If the enemy can lead the desponding to take their eyes off from Jesus, and look to themselves, and dwell upon their own unworthiness, instead of dwelling upon the worthiness (merits, righteousness) of Jesus as our Substitute and Surety, His love, His merits, and His great mercy, he will get away their shield of faith and gain his object; they will be exposed to his fiery temptations. The weak should therefore look to Jesus, and believe in Him (the Word of Almighty God); they then exercise (step forward, and walk out in) faith . . .”
– Early Writings, p.72-73
For He verily cannot fail . . . nor will He ever put us to shame !