Faith needs to be cultivated. Faith is increased by exercise, by being put to use. It is nourished by painful trials. Faith grows by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer.
Faith starts prayer to work.
It clears the way to the mercy seat of God. It gives assurance that there is a mercy seat of God and that God waits there for us to come with our prayers. Faith opens the way for prayer to approach God. It accompanies prayer with every step, when requests are made to God, faith turns the asking into obtaining. And faith follows prayer, since the spiritual life into which a believer is led by prayer is a life of faith.