How many of us are praying, but don't believe what we are praying for? If we were all to be truthful, we would all probably answer that all of us are. You can say prayers in your mind, but harbor doubt in your heart. Sometimes, God will answers such prayers as He did when Peter was in prison waiting to be executed. The other believers in Jerusalem were powerless to free him, so they gathered together to pray for him and for his release. When God released Peter, their reaction to his release revealed that they had doubted in their hearts. They argued that Peter could not possibly be free, even as he stood outside knocking on the door!
"When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Acts 12:14-15.
We come to a few questions that I have asked and I am sure that you are asking: Is it possible to be a "person of prayer" and yet not have faith? Is it possible to fool ourselves into believing that because we ask for God's help, we have faith in His ability to meet our needs? Is our faith so weak that we are actually surprised when God answers our prayers? We are God's children, and as His children, shouldn't we expect Him to answer our prayers?
Do you ask God to do something without adjusting your life to to what you are praying for? If we are praying for revival, how are we preparing for it's coming? If we pray for forgiveness, are we still living with guilt? If we pray for God to provide for our needs, do we remain worried and anxious?
There are a lot of questions asked, but they are the ones most frequently asked by us Christians. Most of us pray and pray and pray, but doubt and doubt and doubt, because we do not see the results immediately. God answers prayer right now, and God answers prayer later. All things are done in His time, but He is watching to see if we line ourselves up with His will. What we should do is ask God to increase our faith and then begin living a life that reflects absolute trust in Him! Out of His grace, God may chose to respond to our requests despite our lack of faith, but we will miss the joy of praying in faith. But, sooner or later, that lack of faith will catch up to us for James wrote: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord." James 1:6-7. When you pray, believe that God will answer!
May God richly bless you!! H Trent!
"When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Acts 12:14-15.
We come to a few questions that I have asked and I am sure that you are asking: Is it possible to be a "person of prayer" and yet not have faith? Is it possible to fool ourselves into believing that because we ask for God's help, we have faith in His ability to meet our needs? Is our faith so weak that we are actually surprised when God answers our prayers? We are God's children, and as His children, shouldn't we expect Him to answer our prayers?
Do you ask God to do something without adjusting your life to to what you are praying for? If we are praying for revival, how are we preparing for it's coming? If we pray for forgiveness, are we still living with guilt? If we pray for God to provide for our needs, do we remain worried and anxious?
There are a lot of questions asked, but they are the ones most frequently asked by us Christians. Most of us pray and pray and pray, but doubt and doubt and doubt, because we do not see the results immediately. God answers prayer right now, and God answers prayer later. All things are done in His time, but He is watching to see if we line ourselves up with His will. What we should do is ask God to increase our faith and then begin living a life that reflects absolute trust in Him! Out of His grace, God may chose to respond to our requests despite our lack of faith, but we will miss the joy of praying in faith. But, sooner or later, that lack of faith will catch up to us for James wrote: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord." James 1:6-7. When you pray, believe that God will answer!
May God richly bless you!! H Trent!
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