What do you pray for? When you talk to God, what is it that you ask Him to do for you—what is it that is your most heartfelt desire? Do you believe He’s doing it? Or do you doubt?
“Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-24 NLT)
I’ll admit it—I haven’t mastered this yet. Some requests are easy to believe I already have: things like, “Please make me more faithful (or wiser, or more courageous, etc.),” because you can play make-believe—you can imagine you already have that quality, and by pretending actually become more like that.
But other requests—especially those you can’t objectively effect, such as what happens in another person’s life—are more difficult to attribute to self-effort or wishful thinking. No amount of my wanting my grown children to come to the obedience of the faith will cause a change in their hearts if they have expressly forbidden me from speaking about God, and shut me down every time I try.
Yet Jesus, the Word of God become a human being, didn’t qualify what kind of prayers get answered. To the contrary, His example—a mountain moving from one spot to another—is something no amount of play-acting could affect. Yet He says it’s possible…
So I will continue to pray for the things that superficially seem as hard as a mountain moving to the sea—because I know God knows everything, and because He says it’s possible—it is.
I will pray for my children to come to saving faith. I will pray that they would know that, “In Him…[they] were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11 NIV)
I will pray, “…that the eyes of…[their] heart may be enlightened in order that…[they] may know the hope to which He has called…[them], the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV)
I will also pray for them to take God seriously; to comprehend that, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31 NIV)
I will pray for them to see how tiny a thread of grace keeps us alive and that it can unexpectedly be cut at any moment; that, “…people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV) I will pray that they not be neither afraid nor ashamed at that moment.
I will pray that they, “…may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of…[their] own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:8-9 NIV)
I will pray that they be among those who, “ hear My [Jesus’] word and believe Him who sent Me [and] have eternal life and not be judged but have crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)
And I will believe that I have it. Why? Because, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16 NKJV)
Because as impossible as it seems, Elijah’s prayer kept rain from falling for three years—and his prayer caused it to again rain; because God can do anything.
So as long as I’m alive I will pray for their repentance—for them to finally see that pleasant as it is to accomplish much in this world, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NIV) That Jesus really will, “…come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:27 NIV)
I will pray that they see this doesn’t mean they check out of life, but as they do the things they do they acknowledge their Creator and Savior God and commit all their ways to Him.
That regarding Jesus Christ, rather than using His name in vain they repent and believe He is God and has the power to forgive sins and make us right with God, acknowledging that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That “He was with God in the beginning.” That, “Through Him all things were made.” That, “without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3 NIV)
So—what do you pray for? When you talk to God, what is it that you ask Him to do for you—and do you believe He’s doing it? I do; because my God said, “…you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” I choose to believe.
Dear God,
In Jesus’ name, please give me the forgiveness and salvation of my children, because You promised if I believe that I’ve gotten it, it will be mine. Amen.
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