When You Pray

        In 1 John 5:14-15, The Living Bible, it says, “And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will.  And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us.’”

        Do we really believe God will answer us when we pray in line with His will?

    In Mark 11:24, it says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” We’re to believe we receive when we pray. Immediately, we receive in our spirit by faith. Later, the answer manifests in the physical.
     
        It’s the time between when we receive the answer in our spirits and it manifests in the natural realm that often gets us into trouble. We begin to doubt God’s Word. If Satan can get us off the Word of God, he can steal our victory. That’s where the spiritual force of patience comes in.

       Hebrews 6:12 in the Berean Literal Bible says, “That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” What it says about becoming sluggish is important. When it takes a long time for the answer to come, it’s so easy to take our focus off the promise we’re holding onto and to look at the circumstances instead.

       It reminds me of Abraham. God told him when he and Sarah were old, had no children, and Sarah had been barren all her life, that through Abraham’s offspring, the nations of the earth would be blessed. “I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12: 2-3 MSG).

         A long time passed and no children appeared on the scene. So, Abraham and Sarah decided to help God out. Abraham took Sarah’s servant as a wife so he could have children with her. The results were disastrous, which are still evident to this day. Abraham and Sarah did not allow the force of patience to keep them steady until the promise was fulfilled and Isaac was born.

          But after God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, ‘father of many nations’, and Sarai’s name to Sarah, ‘mother of many nations’, they remained steady and at the time promised by God, Isaac came into the world.
                                                                                                           
          “In spite of being nearly one hundred years old when the promise of having a son was made, his faith was so strong that it could not be undermined by the fact that he and Sarah were incapable of conceiving a child. He never stopped believing God’s promise, for he was made strong in his faith…And because he was mighty in faith and convinced that God had all the power needed to fulfill his promises, Abraham glorified God.” (Romans 4:19-21 TPT).
                                                                                                           
               As born-again believers, let’s be strong in faith, glorify God and stand on His great and precious promises, no matter what we see around us. In the power of the Holy Spirit, let’s walk by faith and not by sight.