WHEN YE PRAY

Another area in which faith is required is prayer. When you mention prayer, every Christian seems to have an idea about it. We know about laying our petitions before God. We know we can ask God concerning the things we need. But the truth of the matter is that many Christians do not really believe God will answer their prayers. The worst group of people are those who are not really sure whether God hears them or not. And because of that many prayers go unanswered. As a result many Christians have lost faith in prayer. They pray just for praying sake but do not believe they will receive answers. How did I come to this conclusion?

 Many Christians forget they have asked God concerning their need. Though surprising, this is actually true. Think about it. How many times do believers keep asking God for a particular need because they forget they have already asked?  Why would you ask again for a need when you believe God heard you and answered you the first time you prayed? Those who believe God answered their prayer do not go to him over and over again for the same need. Honestly, if you really believe God heard and answered your prayer, you would have it in mind that it is done and not forget. These are signs of unbelief and will not get anything from God. Many people also, even when they finish praying continue to talk as if there is no hope. They continue to talk their fears even when they have prayed about them. They continue to look to themselves for solutions even when they have asked God for the solutions. But it must not be so.

Human beings naturally would want to be self dependent that is why many people find it difficult to trust God even when they have prayed. So people pray to God and afterwards try and find ways of solving the issue themselves. We pray to God and go back worrying about the issues we prayed about. There is a difference between trusting God to lead you to the solution and worrying about the solution yourself. Why pray if after praying you will be back to square one?

Mark 11:23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.24 Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

This is a statement that Jesus made to his disciples after Peter commented on the dead fig tree. The previous day, Jesus had cursed the fig tree which had withered by the time he and his disciples arrived the following day. Naturally the disciples would want to know how Jesus did it so he showed them. He tells them to have faith in God. This can also be rendered have the faith of God. He told them to have the God kind of faith. A legitimate question here is what is the God kind of faith?

Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

The bible says God calleth those things which be not as though they were. That is the God kind of faith. Now Jesus says we should have this kind of faith meaning we could call things that be not in the physical but are in the spiritual as though they were and see them manifest.

Jesus goes further to talk about moving a mountain. He said if we shall say to this mountain. Note he said if we shall say. The key word here is say. If only we shall talk to the mountain. The mountain could mean any unfavorable situation, obstacle or issue we would want to change just like the fig tree. It could mean a particular sickness, a financial issue, an academic dilemma or even a mountain, literally, if it were necessary. Anything you would want to change, Jesus says speak to it.

...continued in part 2.