11/28/2018
Do you ask God to do something for you in prayer and then wonder how long it will take Him to accomplish it? Do you ask and then couch what you have requested in language which shows your doubt in His power by providing Him a way out of doing that thing you have asked of Him? When we do not expect God to do the things we have asked in the name of Jesus then we have lost our faith, and no longer believe and trust in the Lord... we have relegated ourself to chasing after clever fables. Do you truly believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Then, expect!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV
Have you ever known a timid soul that asks something of someone, and then immediately says “but if you can’t do it, then I understand!”? Was that timid person you? By asking and then offering a way out of doing what we have just asked, we are doing one of two things; we are either doubting the person’s desire or ability to do this for us, or we are doubting that we are worthy of what we have asked for. Either way we doubt, and do not have faith it will be done.
“And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.”
Matthew 21:21 ESV
When we doubt in prayer, and follow that prayer by saying that we are presenting it in the name of Jesus, then we are either saying that we believe God is unwilling or unable to do this for His Son... or that we believe He feels His Son Jesus is unworthy of His action. Is this what you intend when you doubt that God will answer prayer?
When we ask, there are three primary ingredients we must bring with us before God, the first is as basic as they come... we must have faith in Him:
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."”
Matthew 21:22 ESV
The second ingredient is that our request is in conformance to God’s will. Sometimes we begin to ask God without stopping to discern whether what we are asking is within his will and character. A couple of rather outlandish examples would be if we asked God to lie for us... well naturally He cannot do that. Or, perhaps we ask God to win an election and go to the capital, when it is His will that we lose because we are not answering His call to be a missionary. We must ask according to His will... seek His will in all things.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
1 John 5:14 ESV
And thirdly, we must ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Prior to the time of Jesus men asked God to do the things they requested in prayer directly, but now we are told to ask in the name of Jesus... He is our guarantor of prayer.
“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:23-24 ESV
If we include these three ingredients in our prayers, then we can be assured that God will hear us, and answer because it is His desire, His promise, and will bring Him glory in answering! E.M. Bounds, who wrote extensively on prayer put it this way...
“It is not the marvelous array of argument and eloquence in praying which makes prayer effectual. Not one or all of these are things which glorify God. It is the answers which brings glory to His Name... Better not to pray at all than to go through a dead form, which secures no answer, brings no glory to God, and supplies no good to man.” - E.M. Bounds
God is more than able to answer our prayers, and the Name of Jesus is more than worthy of His attention, so are we seeking and praying in God’s will? Is our faith solid and free from doubt? Are we exercising the instruction of Jesus Christ by praying and asking in His Name? If we do these things then we can be expectant of God’s answer, and we can begin to seek understanding in such amazing riches of prayer as waiting, supplication, persevering, interceding, and the many other treasures of a full and rich prayer life.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the grain of faith that you have placed within me, and the amazing prayer life that has sprung forth from it. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ in whose name I lift up my requests to you, and thank you for revealing your will and character to me so that my prayers are acceptable to you and do not ask that you do those things that are contrary to who you are. Help me Holy Father to crawl, walk, run, and finally soar in my prayers! Lead me deeper into my understanding of prayer, and in requesting help and comfort through them. Teach me to wait in full faith, to pray for others as if I were laying down my life for them, to pray and seek you without ceasing, and to be persistent in prayers which you are yet to answer. Give me the growing ability to walk and talk with you in prayer, and to find confidence in your promise of answering me. Great are you Holy Father, and nothing is beyond your ability. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who answers me in times of need, and soothes my suffering through my unwavering prayers. In my relief and provision rests your glory, and the praise of all creation. Through my faith and prayer you say “It is done.”
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:6-8 ESV
Rich Forbes