Many people teach that the prayer of faith is a ‘one time prayer’
and from then on you merely believe and continue to believe that you are
going to receive what you ask for. That’s fine if you really believe.
However, many people pray in hope, not in faith.
Yes, they have all the faith in the world that God can do what
they want. Yes, they believe that He has done it for others. But, the
truth remains - they do not yet believe that He will do it for them - in
that particular situation.
If we do not have absolute faith, shall we despise
hope? Paul the apostle said: “Now, we are saved by hope and
hope that is seen is not hope.” This kind of hope is not just a wish;
it is a strong confidence - but it is not yet faith. Faith comes by
hearing and hearing comes by receiving a Word from the Lord!”
We all have a strong confidence in the Word of the
Lord as it is written in scriptures. We base our hope and confidence in
the truth of God’s Word. But, we have lingering doubts about whether
we, as individuals, can tap into God’s Word for ourselves and actually
obtain the miracle we need. We have not received a personal confirmation
from God that He will do what we want Him to do.
I may have told my Nephew that I would pick him up at
the bus station if he ever came to our city. He has my word on that!
So, one day he arrives at the bus station and I don’t
know that he has arrived. He calls to tell me where he is, based on my
promise to him. But, there’s no answer. He still has not gotten a
confirmation that I will pick him up on that particular day. My promise
is still good, but he has to make the connection with me and I have to
confirm to him that I will indeed carry out my word. Until he gets a
word from me that I’m on my way, what should he do? Should he say, “I
called once and he promised, so I am going to stand on his word and wait
right here until he arrives.”? In that case, he will wait and wait and
wait a long, long time for me to carry out my word.
A widow woman once went to an unjust judge and
pleaded, “Please avenge me of my adversary.” The man drove her away.
She had no faith that he would do what she wanted, because He had not
given her his word that he would do so.
Oh sure, she knew he could do it. He had the power
and the authority. She had faith in his ability to do this small thing,
but she merely had a hope that he might do it for her. So she mixed
her ‘faith in his position’ with her ‘hope in his willingness’
and made her appeal.
Over and over the man said “no” and sent her away
empty. Yet, she hoped on - knowing he could if he only would. So, she
goes back again - in hope. He says ‘No!” There is no other
hope for her. He is the only one who can make the difference, so in
desperation and continued hope, she goes back again. This time, the man
just wants to be free from her continued pleadings for his help, so he
gives her His word, personally, and says, “I will do it FOR YOU!”
At that moment, the woman’s heart leaps within her
for joy. She has just gone from hope to faith. She now knows that she
has the man’s word on the matter. She goes her way and does not come
back anymore. No matter how long he delays, she knows he is a man of his
word and he will do it.
When Jesus walked the face of the earth, many people
came to Him for healing. They knew He was healing many others. They had
no doubt about His power to heal. But, they had to come seeking Him.
They had to press their way through the crowds. They had to cut a hole
in the roof of a house. They had to cry out with a loud voice so he
could hear them. They had to get His attention. They had to let Him
see their hope in Him and their faith in His power. That combination of
hope and faith is what made them keep pressing past every obstacle until
they got what they wanted.
One woman came to get healing for her daughter and
Jesus told her that He had come only to the Children of Israel. He
turned her down. Yet, she said, “Master, even the dogs get to eat the
crumbs that fall from the masters’s table.” She would not accept
refusal. She asked again and received her miracle.
God put these stories in the Bible for a reason. I
prayed five years for a certain thing and kept coming back. I told God
He didn’t have to do what I asked, but I would not stop asking as long
as I lived. I told him if he didn’t want people like me coming back
again and again he shouldn’t have put the story of the widow woman in
the Bible.
Guess what?
I got the answer to my prayer - an absolute miracle -
a many faceted miracle, made up of many miracles. It was worth all that
it cost me to have that miracle.
I knew he could do it.
I knew it was not something bad.
It was not selfish.
It was not sinful.
It was for the benefit of others.
It did not go contrary to His nature or His
righteousness.
I had faith in Him and I had faith that my prayer
was right and good.
But, there was no clear word in the Bible that said I
could have this particular series of miracles, in the way that I was
asking for them. I lived and thrived and cried in hope until the
miracles appeared.
Scripture says: “Now, we have faith, hope
and charity and the greatest of these is charity (or love).”
Even if we have no faith or hope in a situation, it
is always acceptable to operate in love toward others...toward our
captors....toward our accusers....toward those who won’t give us what
we want or need...toward our enemies.....toward our weak
friends....toward our unloving family members...toward those who can’t
love us back for some reason....toward all men everywhere.
Scripture also says:
“Faith works by love.”
So, if we persevere in love, forgiveness,
forbearance, tolerance, longsuffering, patience, tenderheartedness,
loving kindness and more forgiveness and tolerance—and keep praying
prayers of hope for all people everywhere - guess what? God will give
us faith to believe that many of our prayers will be answered.
So, until faith comes -
hang on to love and hope.
Keep praying in love and hope.
Keep trusting in the power of love and hope.
Eventually, love and hope will activate faith
and faith will open the windows of heaven for us.
Is that a good enough answer? I hope so.
Gotta go.
God Bless you.
David D. Dodge
