"In the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly." PS 5:3 NIV
Our member care chaplain at GRN USA posed a challenging question to the staff at a recent prayer time. "Are you surprised more when God answers prayer rather than when He doesn't?"
It was a good question. Most of us seem to tend towards unbelief. We know God can answer prayer but we are not always sure that He will. We are so used to walking by sight rather than by faith that we want first to see and then we will believe. But Jesus tells us to believe and then we will see. "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" John 11:4. Faith will always become sight, but not so sight becoming faith.
Unbelief is not to be taken lightly. After all it is sin. It stems from our old nature along with selfishness, greed, anger and the rest of the deeds of the flesh. Our old nature is incapable of true belief in the things of God and is beyond help. This is why it has been crucified with Christ.
The good news is that as believers we have a new nature in Christ. He enables us to pray prayers we believe that God will answer. The life of Christ in us will always be drawn towards seeking what God wants.
A victorious prayer life is not the result of praying our own will but of allowing Jesus to pray through us what the Father desires. True prayer always begins and ends with God. When our Lord wants to do a work He inspires those who are seeking His will to pray for the things He wants done. And it is inconceivable to think that He would not answer those prayers.
As God inspires us to pray we can then watch and wait in full expectation for His answers.
Colin Stott
Global Prayer Coordinator