3 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
Genesis 28:1-29:30
Matthew 9:18-38
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Matthew 9:28-29 (CSB): “When he entered the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I can do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘Let it be done for you according to your faith.’”
Reflecting on God’s Word
If we aren’t careful, we will erroneously conclude that we simply need to ask things from the Lord in prayer, and the deed is done. All we need to do is ask.
But the verses I have chosen for today remind us that something else is also an essential part of a fruitful prayer life. We must ask AND BELIEVE that we will receive what we ask for.
This principle shows up multiple times in Scripture. The first instance that came to my mind is in James 1, where we are told how to obtain wisdom to make good decisions.
James 1:5-8 (CSB): “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.”
Did you see how we are to obtain wisdom? The verses we just read tell us to ask AND BELIEVE.
If we ask and don’t believe, it’s like a young child who comes to her parent and says, “Mom, I need something. I found out that my elementary school teacher wants me to have notebook paper for class. So, I’m going to ask you to get me some paper. But I don’t believe you’re actually going to get it.”
I suspect that such a request would hurt the mom’s heart. She would feel like her child didn’t trust her ability to provide for her. Maybe she was even questioning her mom’s love for her. Whatever the reason, it would hurt the mom to hear a request but then observe doubt in her child’s eyes about her ability or desire to meet that need.
Friend, when you ask God for something, believe He will hear and answer you. Now, you need to have a growing grasp of Scripture to know the kinds of requests God answers. You also need to have a growing relationship with the Holy Spirit so that He can direct you on whether you should keep repeating your request based on whether He will answer it. But if the Bible and Holy Spirit affirm your request, then ask for it AND BELIEVE that God is listening and will answer in His perfect way and time.
Don’t merely ask for things in prayer. Put your faith to work and believe!
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, I know all too well how to ask for things in prayer. It’s fairly easy. But believing that You will grant my requests is quite a different scenario. It feels like asking doesn’t require anything of me, but believing sets my hopes on something that may not happen. But I clearly see in Your Word that prayers get answered when I trust You to answer them. So, as I am informed by Your Word and directed by Your Spirit, I will begin spending more time trusting You for my prayerful requests. I pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
Going Deeper
If you want to go deeper, check out this article by Got Questions: “Are there any conditions to answered prayer?”
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).
Matt’s Musings 