Praying in Faith by Mark Driscoll

Pray Like Jesus By Pastor Mark Driscoll

Day 5 of 21 Praying in Faith  How should we pray?  In Matthew 21:22, Jesus says, "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." We need to have faith that God exists, that he loves us, that he wants to take care of us, that he hears us, and that he wants us to have all we need. We need to have faith that the Spirit is teaching us to pray. We need to have faith that Jesus has died to forgive our sins, making us children whose prayers the Father chooses to hear. We need to remember that God is our Dad, and like all dads, he has three ways of answering our requests. Sometimes we pray for things and we lament, "God didn't answer my prayer." But he did. He just said no. "No" is an answer. Like all dads, God reserves three potential answers to all prayers: Yes, No, or Later. Some years ago, it was bedtime in my house, and three of my kids made requests. First kid comes up and says, "Dad, I'm hungry, can I have some grapes?" Yes. That's a do-able request. The next kid approached and says, "Dad, I'm thirsty, can I have a Coke?" No. There's no bedtime Coke. You don't have to stay up to study for mid-terms, you're six. Have some water. The next kid comes up and says, "Dad, I really enjoyed swimming with you today, can we go swimming again right now?" Later. We'll swim again. But not at ten o'clock at night. Right now, it's time for bed. Three kids, three requests. I don't love any of them any less than the others. All three are my children whom I love and want to please. But based on the requests and the timing of the requests, they got three different answers. And that's how God answers us: Yes, No, or Later. One of the simplest ways to pray in faith is to pray with the belief that God hears our prayers but that not getting what we want doesn't mean God isn't answering. What thing do you struggle to trust God with your life? Spend some time today discussing that with the Lord today, as well as discussing your fears about it with him.  Matthew 21:22 NASB 22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."