October 9, 2012 – Day 2

⁶ But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. ⁹ The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. ¹⁰ But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. ^[1]

The one place where faith is absolutely necessary is in our prayer life. So many believers tend to pray tentative prayers leaving themselves a way of explaining why they did not receive that for which they prayed. But “God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should go back on His word” (Number 23:19). The promises of God are rife with assurances of answered prayer. James echoes those promises with the further caveat that the one who doubts instead of believing is an unstable person who should not expect anything from God.

What should one do when they pray? David Chou, in his book entitled, ‘The Fourth Dimension,’ gives four basic steps to answered prayer. One must have a clear-cut goal and objective, have a burning desire for it, the assurance of receiving it, and then they must speak it. Our prayer must be targeted and specific and our attitudes must be the same. Nothing should be able to dissuade us from the assurance of answered prayer regardless of how long it takes for us to receive the thing for which we prayed. Every person listed in the Hall of Fame of Faith contained in the book of Hebrews died before they received the fulfillment of their promise and yet they believed. What is your clear-cut goal? Do you have a burning desire for it? Do you have the assurance that you will receive it? Are you speaking it?

There are two additional verses in this passage we should not overlook. They speak to the type of attitude one should have as they come to God. Not only does our doubt pose obstacles to answered prayer, but the manner in which we come before Him does as well. Let me encourage you today to move beyond a fast food mentality toward prayer that seeks for instant gratification and instead trust God with a humble heart to perform His Word.

Dear God, we are guilty of placing demands on you and then being angry and disappointed with you when things have not gone our way. Forgive us of our duplicity and instead lead us into a stable faith where we are able to trust you for everything. Take away our prideful haughty spirits and make us humble. Enable us to stand fast as we wait for the circumstances of our lives to change. Keep us from growing weary and taking matters into our own hands but instead cause us to be joyful knowing that You hear and answer prayer. Amen.