There comes a point when prayer has to stop being something we only discuss and become something we actually expect God to answer. For nineteen days we have been returning to the secret place. We have talked about hunger, communion, Scripture, perseverance, spiritual sensitivity, our position in Christ and standing in the whole armour of God. Today we bring something very simple and very personal into that secret place: the things we actually need God to do.
Sometimes we can become so careful about avoiding disappointment that we quietly lower our expectations before we even pray. We say all the correct words, finish with “Amen,” and somewhere inside we have already prepared ourselves for nothing to happen. We call it being realistic, but sometimes realism has quietly become a respectable hiding place for unbelief.
Then Jesus says something that refuses to let prayer remain merely religious:
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” — Mark 11:24 KJV
Jesus connects prayer with expectation. He tells us to believe. But to understand what that means, we need to notice something He said immediately before it.
Have Faith In God
Before Jesus speaks about mountains, believing and receiving, He says:
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” — Mark 11:22 KJV
Those four words protect everything that follows. Have faith in God. Biblical faith is not faith in faith. It is not confidence in our ability to believe strongly enough to force an outcome into existence. It is not mental gymnastics where we try desperately to remove every doubtful thought because we are afraid one moment of uncertainty will cancel the prayer.
Faith has an object. God. If my confidence is in the strength of my believing, I will spend the entire prayer examining myself: Do I believe enough? Was that thought doubt? Did I say the declaration strongly enough? Should I say it seven more times? But Jesus directs our attention away from ourselves. “Have faith in God.” Faith looks toward His character, His power, His faithfulness and His Word. The question is not whether I can become impressive at believing. The question is whether God is trustworthy.
Faith Does Not Require You To Deny Reality
Faith is not pretending that facts do not exist. If you receive a medical diagnosis, faith does not require you to pretend the doctor never spoke. You can seek appropriate medical care while praying confidently to God. If there is not enough money for something you genuinely need, faith does not require you to stare at the account balance and announce that the numbers are imaginary.
If you need employment, faith can pray boldly and still update the CV. There is no spiritual prize for making the angels apply for jobs on your behalf. Biblical faith acknowledges what is happening without giving circumstances the right to define what God can do. Abraham gives us a remarkable example. Romans says:
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” — Romans 4:20 KJV
Abraham was not unaware of natural impossibility. He simply refused to make natural impossibility greater than God’s promise. Faith does not say, “There is no mountain.” Faith says, “There is a mountain, but there is also God.”
Faith Grows From What God Has Spoken
Romans 10:17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This is why we spent time earlier learning to pray the Word. Faith is not emotional optimism. It is not waking up and deciding that today you will feel extremely positive about everything. Faith becomes strong as God becomes known. We discover His character through Scripture. We learn His promises. We see His faithfulness. We understand what Christ has accomplished. Then our prayers begin resting upon something greater than our emotions.
Where Scripture has spoken clearly, we can stand upon what God has said. Where Scripture does not promise the exact outcome we desire, we can still ask boldly while remaining surrendered to His wisdom. That is not weak faith. It is faith that trusts God enough to remain God.
Surrender Does Not Cancel Faith
Some people become nervous about saying, “Your will be done,” because they think those words weaken prayer. Yet Jesus Himself prayed:
“…nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42 KJV
Nobody can accuse Jesus of lacking faith. Surrender is not the opposite of faith. Sometimes surrender is one of faith’s deepest expressions. It says: Father, I know what I desire, and I will not hide it from You. I believe You are able. I will ask boldly. But I trust Your wisdom beyond my understanding.
Faith does not make God our servant. Faith makes us confident children before a trustworthy Father.
Do Not Turn Faith Into Condemnation
We must also be careful how we speak about unanswered prayer. It is cruel to stand beside someone carrying deep disappointment and casually announce, “You obviously didn’t have enough faith.” Scripture gives us no permission to become judges of another person’s heart simply because an outcome did not happen as expected. There are faithful people in Scripture who endured delay, suffering and circumstances they did not choose.
God answers prayer. God heals. God provides. God opens doors. God intervenes supernaturally. We should not become afraid to believe those things simply because we cannot explain every outcome. But faith must never become a weapon with which we condemn hurting people. When we do not understand, we remain humble. When God has spoken, we believe. And in everything, we continue trusting Him.
Bring The Real Need
Today I do not want you to pray around the issue. Bring it. Perhaps you need healing. Perhaps there is a financial burden that has been sitting heavily upon your mind. Perhaps you need employment, a business opportunity or wisdom concerning your career. Maybe you are studying and need provision, direction, strength or an opportunity concerning your education.
Perhaps there is a relationship that desperately needs God’s wisdom. Maybe something is happening within your household that you have not known how to resolve. Perhaps you are carrying a ministry burden. Maybe you need direction concerning a decision that could significantly affect your future. Or perhaps there is something so personal that nobody else knows how often you have brought it before God.
Bring it today. I would rather bring God an honest request that exposes my hope than hide behind religious language because I am afraid of being disappointed. Prayer gives us permission to be specific.
Faith Does Not Have To Pray Vaguely
Jesus often asked people questions that brought their desires into the open. To blind Bartimaeus He said:
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” — Mark 10:51 KJV
Jesus obviously knew the man’s condition, yet Bartimaeus answered plainly: “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” There is something healthy about bringing a clear request before God. Specificity does not control Him. It simply makes our prayer honest. Instead of saying, “Lord, bless everything,” perhaps there is something specific you need wisdom about. Name it. Instead of circling around the fear, tell Him what concerns you. Instead of hiding behind impressive prayer language, speak plainly. Your Father does not need you to make the request sound spiritual before He understands it.
Faith Can Have Feet
There are times when the answer to prayer includes something God requires us to do. If you pray for employment, apply where appropriate. If you pray concerning education, study faithfully. If you ask God to bless your business, practise wisdom, integrity and diligence. If you pray for reconciliation and Scripture exposes something you need to address, obey.
If you ask for direction and God makes the next step clear, take it. Prayer is not an alternative to obedience. Sometimes we ask God to move while He is waiting for us to act upon the wisdom He has already given. Faith trusts God enough to pray and trusts Him enough to obey.
Today, Let Faith Speak
Today there will be room at the altar for real needs. Health. Provision. Employment. Education. Businesses. Relationships. Households. Direction. Ministry. Private burdens. Submitted prayer requests. But we will not approach these needs as people attempting to persuade a reluctant God to notice us. We have already learned that we can come boldly to the throne of grace. We know our position is in Christ. We have put on the armour of God. Now we bring the need. Do not measure God’s ability by the size of what you are facing. Do not measure His faithfulness by your emotions this morning. And do not measure the possibility of His intervention by how impossible the circumstances currently look.
Jesus did not say: Have faith in your faith. He said: “Have faith in God.” So bring the request. Open the Word. Ask boldly. Believe God. Take whatever obedient steps are required. Remain surrendered to His wisdom. And leave the altar trusting the One to whom you have prayed.
Declarations
◆ My faith is in God and not in the strength of my own ability to believe.
◆ I bring my genuine needs before the Father with confidence, honesty and expectation.
◆ I refuse to make present circumstances greater in my heart than the power and faithfulness of God.
◆ The Word of God is strengthening my faith and shaping what I believe concerning my life and future.
◆ I will ask boldly while remaining completely surrendered to the wisdom and will of God.
◆ I reject fear-driven prayer and every pressure to manufacture spiritual confidence through emotion.
◆ I believe God is able to heal, provide, guide, restore, open doors and intervene according to His wisdom and purpose.
◆ I will not condemn myself or others when circumstances are difficult or answers are not immediately understood.
◆ My faith will produce obedience, wisdom, diligence and appropriate action wherever God requires me to move.
◆ Whatever I bring before God today, I leave the altar trusting His character, His Word and His faithfulness.
My Prayer For You
May faith rise in your heart as you bring your real needs before God. May He give wisdom where you need direction, provision where there is genuine need, healing and strength, open the right doors, and establish your heart in the confidence that He is faithful, powerful and worthy of your trust.
