Articles
Believing Prayer
“Jesus said, ‘Whatsoever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive’” (Matt. 21:22).
We cannot separate prayer from its source of power. If we see prayer simply as an activity to perform and check off on our to-do list of spiritual deeds for the day, we miss the heart, substance, and opportunity prayer offers. Jesus reminds us that prayer is connecting with God. God Who created all things, Who spoke all things into existence, Who upholds all things with the word of His power, Whose power is matchless, and Who loves without limits.
Christ’s promise that we will receive anything we ask for comes with a condition: we must believe. A torrent of words–even eloquent or flowery–do not please God. Intense emotions do not necessarily moves His hand. Faith, however small, in God, makes Him smile and connects us to His heart and His purposes.
“Believing prayer” is characterized by a genuine commitment to God’s desires. We long for God to be honored, not us. We want Him to touch our lives, to give Him control. To know what God wants, we search the Scriptures to find out what is on His heart and how He wants to work in our lives. We listen as we sit silently with open hearts.
This kind of prayer never demands that God act a certain way. Instead, believing prayer acknowledges our inadequacies and limitations, and focuses on God’s greatness and goodness to direct both prayer and His answer.
What are some steps you can take today to develop a habit of praying this way?
“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees” (William Cowper).
