There have been things I’ve been praying about for years: ailments, relationships, salvations. Sometimes it’s hard to keep on praying. It’s hard to keep on believing that God will one day answer my prayers. Today’s readings talk about just that.
In Matthew 21, tells his disciples: “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it” (vs. 22). This is a great verse. But what does it mean?
Matthew Henry, writes, “Faith, if it be right, will excite prayer; and prayer is not right, if it do not spring from faith. This is the condition of our receiving—we must ask in prayer, believing. The requests of prayer shall not be denied; the expectations of faith shall not be frustrated.”*
If we ask for something that is selfish and not for the heart, God is able to discern this. He can tell the difference between a “material” need and a true, heartfelt concern. He promises that he will answer the prayers that come from the heart. His answers may not always be in our timing, or even the answers we want to hear, but he does answer them. All we have to do is believe.
Do you believe that God can do the impossible? Or have you given up on a request that has been there for years?
Prayer: Lord, give me the faith to believe that you will provide today and every day.
*Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Matthew 21." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2009. 19 Aug 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment