FaithFaith is asking, believing, with no sure sign of its fulfillment. It is having patience with God to allow him to direct his answer in the most effective way. That may involve others who will grow in their Christian experience or awareness as a result of His answering your prayer. Perhaps he combines the answering of many prayers of many people at one time in his divine way—and doesn’t this give even more glory to God? The faith of a small child may be that God protects his/her parents while they are away. The faith of a teen may be for normalcy and popularity. The faith the wage earner puts forth is for promotion or preservation of one’s level achieved already. The faith of the homemaker is that love will always be present in the household and that the many needs for subsistence continuously are met. The prayer by a manager will be for wisdom in that the choices and decisions that affect so many will be the best ones for prosperity, profit, and endurance of the firm. And the older one gets the more the prayers take on the concerns of the younger loved ones that they be healthy and protected, besides the wish to have health during the declining years themselves. So prayers take many forms of request to God, and to act in faith upon the prayers one makes is to go about life and “your days” with a spirit of confidence that others see. These “others” then want to have a faith like what they see in you. (“Be cheerful,” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us.) God allows hard times to come; He also sets us up for opportunity to further develop our Christian character. Do we cling to Him with our confidence when all else fails? Is He the center of our “support system”; is He the one that Proverbs teaches is “closer than a brother”? It may even come to our asking, “Do I want God more than all these things He has given me through the years?” I hope the answer is yes. If you have been generous towards others—in His name—then probably He is sufficiently convinced that the answer to this important, previous question is “yes.” In the “Audio Prayer” section of the website, I’m trying to show that God is approached on His terms: we must see Him for how wonderful He is; we must recognize the ultimate and only merit of Jesus, His Son; we must want what we ask for; we must continue in praise as a support to our faith we are showing as well as accustom ourselves to this high priestly function that will be ours full-time in the afterlife of giving praises to God for all that He has done! That you are reading this is proof positive you have concerned yourself with learning more about prayers and prayer time. There are many demands in Scripture that are difficult, one being “pray without ceasing”—(1 Thessalonians 5:17) as Paul the Apostle is quoted. If when you think of the prayer subject/need during the day, your thoughts are constantly affirming that God will be answering this request, then this meets the criteria “without ceasing”. Don’t let doubt enter in—doubt spoils it and makes you as a wave tossed to and fro on the sea: double-minded in all your ways (James 1:8). Continue in the light you have been given; assume your faith is correctly directioned, and you shall have answers to those prayers. And what if the answer seems delayed in its coming from God? The same basic request asked differently, over time, will come to reflect the Holy Spirit’s wishes for all those concerned. Your theology will change a little. You may resign yourself to God’s will, or oppositely, you may come to ask with more fervency. You are changing as your prayer is changing: you are what you pray. It shows your attitude towards Life, towards the Creator, towards His wisdom, towards what you think His character is; and in terms of serving others by having opportunities given you—how much you love His Son Jesus. God has said, “No one shall snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28), but what are you clutching in your hands? Can one fold ones hands in prayer, if money is between them tightly, can you put your hands together in prayer if you are holding the “good things” of this life too dearly? Are you “empty” and receiving of God if your coffers are full? Ask yourself these questions. But never give just to be rid of a portion and think yourself obedient in doing so. No, spend (much) time in prayer for guidance on where and how much specifically to give. Do not be sloppy about this. For five organizations asking you to give to them, perhaps one is worthy! Find that one, through your prayers. And once prayer is answered, by you giving—and continuing on into the future to give—your thanks to God for this, you now have established true relationship that is mutual, part and part from both God and you. This is the blessing in this life of being a Christian. Don’t doubt once you have asked in faith. Remember after the answer comes from God as fulfilled by Him, that you are to give Him thanks… and not just once, but ongoingly. All that goes into answering our prayers is deserving of more than one cursory “thank you” quickly given. AND MOST OF ALL, BE THANKFUL FOR THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOUL THROUGH THE MERITORIOUS SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON. Never forget that! |
|
