Prayer

There is no reason why we should not ask for great things. Without a doubt, we will receive them if we ask in faith (James 4:2-3, John 14:14), having the courage to wait with patient perseverance for Him and meanwhile doing those things that are within our power to do. I think we skip over the word 'meanwhile' in that previous sentence. We don't fully understand what that means or how long that requires us to wait. Horatius said, "There is no such thing as prayer unanswered or unnoticed by God, and some things we see as refusals or denials are simply delays." God's delay is intentional, just look at the life of Lazarus in John 11. Jesus delayed going to Lazarus to heal him of his sickness. In fact, he waited until he had already been dead for 4 days. This delay shows His glory and His delay in your life will in time show how awesome and in control He truly is. "When God delays, He is not inactive." (John Henry Jowett)

God listens and knows your heart.
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah prays for God to raise a child from the dead. Verse 21-22, "Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, 'Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!' The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived." Again in 1 Kings 18, Elijah prays for God to send down fire on the altar to prove to the prophets of Baal who the true Lord was. Verse 37-38, "Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench." God responds to our prayer!

Prayer is nothing more than an offering of faith. Frederick William Robertson said, "When we give into laziness, moments of prayer that are missed can never be redeemed. We may learn from them, but we will miss the rich freshness and strength that would have been imparted during those moments." God says He will move on the behalf of some...so Father use my faith to move and bring others to faith in you. Help me to trust you and to know that you are working even in my uncertainty.