Since faith is a foundational element of our Christian life, let me help you see a significant aspect of how you can take hold of things God has for you. I want to point out for you a distinction between asking and believing.
We are told to ask for things from God. That is a wonderful privilege we all have. We are to pray for things and to ask and keep on asking.
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
When we pray we are to do so in faith. We ask, believing that God hears us and that God will answer our prayer. Here, then, is a link between asking and believing.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever things you ask for in prayer, believe that you receive them, and they will be yours.” Mark 11:24
“And all things, whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22
Note the idea of asking and, separately, of believing.
Prayer can be prayed in times of hopelessness and despair, as the only option left. We can feel so helpless and the problem so difficult that we pray in desperation, rather than faith. God understands that. The disciples called desperately on Jesus, such as when they thought they would drown in a storm.
Jesus heard their desperate cry and saved them, even though they didn’t have faith.
“The disciples went and woke Jesus, saying, Lord, save us! We are dying! Jesus replied, You of little faith, why are you so afraid? He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.” Matthew 8:25,26
God will do the same for you too, since God doesn’t show favouritism. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be rescued.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:17
However it is possible to learn to pray and not actually have any faith. Prayer can become a ritual, or a nice religious thing to do, without any true expectation that God is listening and will do anything to answer the prayer.
Often people will ask for prayer, but their plan of action is to do all in their power to solve their problem. They ask for prayer because it is the right thing to do, not because they are relying on God’s help. It’s good to pray, but remember that praying is meant to be linked to believing.
To give you a practical example, let’s imagine two people who need to be well, maybe because they have exams coming and can’t afford to be distracted by sickness. They both agree together in prayer, asking God to keep them well.
One of them goes away, hopeful they won’t get sick. The other goes away thankful that they won’t get sick. Both have prayed, but only one has connected ‘believing’ with the prayer. One actually expects God to answer the prayer, while the other only hopes they won’t get sick.
Some days later both of them develop a slight sniffle. The one who prayed for health, in hope, feels defeated and quickly doses up on all the medication they can, because God hasn’t answered their prayer.
The other, keeps praying, maybe like this, “God, I asked for health and I believe you heard my prayer and are keeping me well. So this slight sniffle is an enemy attack to get me to give up trusting You. I won’t give up. I choose to continue to trust You and thank You for keeping me well. I reject this sniffle as nothing but a lie from the enemy to tempt me to give up. I call on the name of the Lord to save me and to keep me well.”
Over time a pattern will emerge of one of those two getting prayers answered, while the other, who asked for the same things, won’t seem to have God listening to them. God hears both prayers, but God looks at our heart. He is looking for our faith.
When we activate faith, and choose to believe God, our asking takes on a different quality to those who pray the same prayer in hope, not in faith. Faith is the key to our ongoing Christian life.
“The righteous ones live their life by faith.” Romans 1:17
Next time you pray for something, make your request then stop and assess what is going on inside you. See if you really believe God will answer. If you don’t, then simply tell God that, like praying, “God I really want to have faith and to trust you, but I don’t seem to find that faith inside me. Please help me. Help me become someone who always believes, and always trusts You and always expects You to answer.”
God is ready to help you as you put your trust in Him. Call to him and offer Him the combination of Asking And Believing.
Leave a Reply