07/01/2018
One of the most frequent responses I receive from readers of my morning devotionals is a request for prayer. More often than not it is to join them in a specific prayer that they have been praying for some time without receiving an answer. Do you have prayers like this? Well if so, don’t be discouraged because the disciples failed in prayer too, and Jesus taught them a powerful lesson in it.
“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.””
Matthew 17:19-21 NKJV
Even when we pray for things that are bothering us a great deal we often don’t know exactly how to pray. We might weep, and tell God about the problem, and perhaps we even ask Him for a certain solution, but then we fall mute... unfold our hands... and walk out of our prayer closet in either disbelief, or in an attempt to address the problem ourselves... again.
The most predominate feeling towards unanswered prayer is our lack of belief in God as it pertains to our prayer; we either don’t believe He can do this thing, or we believe that He doesn’t want to do it. Both of these are examples of a deep, often unacknowledged, and frequently hidden feeling that what we are praying for is something that is outside the will of God. We say things to ourselves like... “I don’t deserve this.”, “This is impossible.”, “God hates me!” or “God doesn’t listen to me.” But the most common belief in times such as this is that God finds a fault or shortcoming in us ... we are lacking in some way.
The second most common reason we attribute our unanswered prayers to is that God is out of step with us. In other words... God wants to answer, and eventually will answer... just not right now. When we are in this mode we attempt to maintain our profession of faith by making excuses for God’s inactivity, when in fact we are actually questioning it. We have set guidelines for God to fall within, and He isn’t meeting our expectations. We say things like “He will answer in His own Perfect Time!”, “God’s answer to prayer is never early or late; It
is right on time!”, when inside we are thinking “Come on Lord... why are you dilly dallying around? Can’t you see I am suffering here?”
And the third most common excuse is that the person we are praying for is a non- believer, or lacks in faith... thus preventing a positive outcome. In this situation we find that we cease praying for the request, or in intercession for another, and begin praying such things as “Lord lead them to a stronger faith.”, “Father, help them in their unbelief.”, or we say to ourselves “until they truly have faith my prayers for them will never be answered!”
In fact, sometimes we do pray for things that are outside God’s character, or His will for us... but not as often as we claim. Sometimes God is waiting for that perfect moment, but not as often as we say. And sometimes God does find fault in us, but nothing that asking forgiveness can’t solve... that is... if you have faith in His forgiveness. And sometimes the situation doesn’t pertain to faith, or the person we are praying for doesn’t believe in God, but quite often that isn’t necessary because God’s answer is to our prayer, and for our edification and for those who need to see an answered prayer as an example of His Power and Glory!
So what did Jesus tell His disciples in our scripture reading today? Did He use any of these excuses? NO! It wasn’t God, it wasn’t timing, and it wasn’t somebody else’s disbelief... it was their own lack of faith. Jesus reassured them, interceded for them by casting out the demon himself, and then basically said... get your spiritual house in order! Satan loves nothing more than to rattle us and cause us to begin doubting our faith in prayer. Bridges don’t just fall... they begin to sway and shake, until finally they can bear the strain no longer, and it is then that they fall. The same is true of our faith, and specifically our faith in prayer, without our own personal faith our prayers lose their strength, and eventually we stop praying altogether.
I read this statement by Andrew Murray during my morning devotion, and found it quite useful when applied to our ability to pray...
“Though the simplest, faith is the highest exercise of the spiritual life, where our spirit yields itself in perfect receptivity to God’s Spirit and so is strengthened to its highest activity. This faith depends entirely upon the state of our spiritual life. Only when this is strong and in full health, when the Spirit of God has full sway in our life, is there the power of faith to do its work.” - Andrew Murray
So how is your prayer life today? Are you making excuses? Is your bridge swaying? Have you given up hope altogether? Well listen to Jesus, and begin to do what the disciples did... take your prayer to someone who can intercede for you, and then work to shore up your faith. Our faith is our strength, and is the foundation of the bridge that takes us from where we are, across the ages and the unknown, to the very foot of the mercy seat... and God. Faith is the foundation of prayer. Intercession is the grace we receive as we seek it out.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for helping me to shore up my faith today. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers, and answering! Help me Father to have absolute faith in you, and don’t let Satan sway my bridge... not even the breadth of a hair. Remove the temptation to make excuses for you, or to find fault in the faith of others. Help me instead to perfect my own belief, and faith. In my moments of great need, give me the trust I need to hand my prayer to you and know that it is safe in your hands, and that in you it will be done. Holy Father, I know that I am tempted to judge your abilities by my own, and to think that what is impossible for me is impossible for you, but if my faith in you is complete, then my trust will be in your Word which says:
“For with God nothing will be impossible.””
Luke 1:37 NKJV
I read no bounds in this scripture Lord, and my faith is in you to move mountains, and to do those other things that are too hard for me to consider alone. You are faithful in hearing and answering prayer Merciful Father, and you need no excuses from me, no defense of your sovereignty, or explanation of your power. There is no unbelief on the part of others that can stand in the way of a believer’s prayers, and as we intercede I know that you hear us and will answer. Help me in my prayer and fasting, and let nothing be impossible to me when I pray. Great are you my God of answered prayer, and Great are you who gives strength and replaces disbelief with faithfulness in the heart of the unbeliever. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, and greatly will I praise you in all things, and every prayer.
Rich Forbes