I can hear the groans from my fellow administrators now - “where is he going with that one?”. Thanks for being patient with me, guys. OK… let me explain. First, I wanted to get your attention. Second, I actually believe that prayer works - not only works, but has incredible power when offered in true faith. A power that is desperately needed (and let’s be honest - is generally not very apparent in this day and age). Third, that statement is a quote - both from me in my past, and from my son not too long ago. If we’re honest, I’ll bet we’ve all had that question enter our minds at one time or another. So I want to explore the thought… because when my son asked that a couple years ago I did not have a good response - and that shook me.
Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could (casually, it seems) tell a mountain to hop into the sea and it will happen. I’ve never tried that, but I can name hundreds of things I have asked for/claimed/believed for in faith/etc… that never happened. All seemed like good things. I see now that some of them weren’t. That’s part of my answer. I have less understanding of what is really for my good than my 3 year-old who can’t understand why candy for every meal isn’t a good thing for him.
Another part is that I think we really do miss out on incredible blessings and powerful benefits that effective prayer, offered in true faith, will deliver. Why do we miss out? (I know that would have been a better way to word the title, but I told you I wanted to get your attention).
How is this for a promise to answer just about every prayer you can think of?
Your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. You will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘. Your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
I think that pretty much covers it. If you want more than that, I really have no answer for you. I’m not sure there is much I could ask for or desire that is not in there. Here’s the rub. These promises come from God’s Word. But they are given with some “ifs” (all from Isaiah 58):
Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘
If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.
“But.. but… but… Jesus said that it was “just” faith.” Yeah, we all have big buts (quoting another deep thinker there, any other child of the 80’s remember who?) - but those are not big buts. The real question is: what is faith? God’s Word tells us that faith without works is dead, and that even the demons “believe”. James gets downright sassy with that passage (my paraphrase): “You say you believe? Good for you. You know… you should be really proud of your accomplishment - you’re doing as much as the demons of hell.” Man, that’s talking some smack. I know I’ll never approach that level of genius in sarcasm.
The point is: God will do His part. His promises are real and powerful. But His entire Word is true. We can’t take the seemingly “easy” path that some verses can imply if read in a vacuum and expect to see any kind of power in our lives. Nor can we take the “hard” (or perhaps"impossible”) standards we seem to be held to in other verses and give up. His entire Word is true. We have a role to play. One that requires real commitment and sacrifice. I believe we need only step onto the mat - really commit to the fight - and He will meet us there. And when He does, we can not lose. But He will not step on the mat to fight our battles if we do not step out to fight with Him.
