Prayer without Contingency - Possible or not?
Please take time to read this and share your thoughts. I think we can all benefit from each other on this one.
There are several people on my prayer list today that need physical healing. Some are in very serious situations. Others are trying to get accurate diagnosis of what's going on.
My quiet time started out in Mark 5 in some very familiar verses. Jesus was on his way to Jarius' home because of Jarius' faith that He could heal his sick daughter. On the way there, they were met by people who told them the child had died.
Jesus turned to Jarius and said .... "Don't be afraid. Just believe".
They arrive at Jarius' home and were met by a commotion of people. I assume that was a small crowd - at least a few people if there was a commotion. The people were "weeping and wailing loudly". But, when Jesus told them the child was just asleep, their weeping quickly turned to laughing. (Made me wonder how sincere their grief was!)
Fast forward - Jesus commanded the child to get up and she did - immediately!
Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this. What about the people causing the commotion? Had they left? Would they not know about the healing? How could they not know Jesus was God after this? How do you keep a healing like this quiet?
I was reminded that we can be quick to believe anything as long as it doesn't require blind faith, or require us to have faith in anything we can't control or choose for ourself. Those people who saw the little girl, once dead, must have been willing to believe she was just asleep so they didn't have to believe Jesus was who He said He was.
But the question that kept playing over in my mind was prompted by Jarius' faith. And, it's the question I'd love to hear your thoughts on.
If God has a plan - a good plan according to Jeremiah 29:11, how do we pray for things that may not be according to His plan? How do we pray in simple faith, without adding contingencies like "if it is not your will Lord"?
Here are some of the verses I went to for an answer.
Job 42:2, 8 - Nothing can thwart God's plans AND He answers prayers according to our faith rather than our folly.
James 1:5-7 - When we ask, God gives according to our faith. A doubter shouldn't expect anything from God.
James 5:15-16 - God responds to intense prayer of righteous people
Matthew 6:33 - If we seek God first in all situations, everything else we need will be given to us.
Matthew 7:7 - Keep asking if we want to see an answer.
Again, my question ....
If God has a plan - a good plan according to Jeremiah 29:11, how do we pray for things that may not be according to His plan? How do we pray in simple faith, without adding contingencies like "if it is not your will Lord"?
What do you think?
There are several people on my prayer list today that need physical healing. Some are in very serious situations. Others are trying to get accurate diagnosis of what's going on.
My quiet time started out in Mark 5 in some very familiar verses. Jesus was on his way to Jarius' home because of Jarius' faith that He could heal his sick daughter. On the way there, they were met by people who told them the child had died.
Jesus turned to Jarius and said .... "Don't be afraid. Just believe".
They arrive at Jarius' home and were met by a commotion of people. I assume that was a small crowd - at least a few people if there was a commotion. The people were "weeping and wailing loudly". But, when Jesus told them the child was just asleep, their weeping quickly turned to laughing. (Made me wonder how sincere their grief was!)
Fast forward - Jesus commanded the child to get up and she did - immediately!
Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this. What about the people causing the commotion? Had they left? Would they not know about the healing? How could they not know Jesus was God after this? How do you keep a healing like this quiet?
I was reminded that we can be quick to believe anything as long as it doesn't require blind faith, or require us to have faith in anything we can't control or choose for ourself. Those people who saw the little girl, once dead, must have been willing to believe she was just asleep so they didn't have to believe Jesus was who He said He was.
But the question that kept playing over in my mind was prompted by Jarius' faith. And, it's the question I'd love to hear your thoughts on.
If God has a plan - a good plan according to Jeremiah 29:11, how do we pray for things that may not be according to His plan? How do we pray in simple faith, without adding contingencies like "if it is not your will Lord"?
Here are some of the verses I went to for an answer.
Job 42:2, 8 - Nothing can thwart God's plans AND He answers prayers according to our faith rather than our folly.
James 1:5-7 - When we ask, God gives according to our faith. A doubter shouldn't expect anything from God.
James 5:15-16 - God responds to intense prayer of righteous people
Matthew 6:33 - If we seek God first in all situations, everything else we need will be given to us.
Matthew 7:7 - Keep asking if we want to see an answer.
Again, my question ....
If God has a plan - a good plan according to Jeremiah 29:11, how do we pray for things that may not be according to His plan? How do we pray in simple faith, without adding contingencies like "if it is not your will Lord"?
What do you think?
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