Praying With Weak Faith

                                                     When The Door Slams

When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.                           Act 12:14-16 

        You can say prayers in your mind but doubt in your heart. At times God will answer such prayers as He did when Peter was in prison, scheduled for execution. The believers in Jerusalem were powerless to free him, so they prayed. When God released Peter, their reaction revealed the doubt in their hearts. They argued that Peter could not possibly be free, even as he stood outside knocking on the door!

        Is it possible to be a "person of prayer" and yet not have faith? Is it possible to fool yourself into believing that because you ask God for help, you have faith in His ability to meet your needs? Is your faith so weak that you are surprised when God answers your prayer? As a child of God, you ought to expect God to answer your prayers. Do you ask God to do something without adjusting your life to what you are praying for? If you are praying for revival, how are you preparing for its coming? If you are praying for forgiveness, did you repent? Are you still living with guilt? If you have asked God to provide for your needs, do you remain worried and anxious?

        Think about this: If you are not obedient to God's Word, will He answer your prayer? If you are not obedient to God's Word, will you trust Him? If you are not obedient to God's Word, will you give Him glory? If you are not obedient to God's Word, can your weak faith move this mountain from your life? If you are not obedient to God's Word, will He give you spiritual wisdom? If you are not obedient to God's Word, will you see the kingdom of heaven?

        Ask God to increase your faith, and then begin living a life that reflects absolute trust in Him. Out of His grace, God may choose to respond to your requests despite your lack of faith, but you will miss the joy of praying in faith.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                    Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.      

                                                                            Never Rest Ministries

                       

Obedient Is The Keys Of The Kingdom

                                                     When  The Door Slams

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."                                                                                                                               Matthew 16:19

        The keys of the kingdom represent the access you have to the Father through your obedient relationship to Jesus Christ. With this relationship you have access to everything that is accessible to Christ. However, this access is not given indiscriminately; Jesus gave the keys to His disciples only after they recognized that He was the Christ. 

        Once the disciples were convinced that Jesus was the Savior, they entered into a unique and personal relationship with Him. Their relationship to Jesus gave them direct access to their heavenly Father. Likewise, your obedient relationship with Christ opens the door of heaven for you and gives you direct access to the Father. 

        Peter discovered that once he had keys to the kingdom, he could go to the Father in every situation. When he stood to preach before thousands on the day of Pentecost, this simple fisherman opened the door to the kingdom for three thousand people in one day (Acts 2:41). When he encountered a lame man, he used his access to God and His healing power, and the man was healed (Acts 3:6). When he was imprisoned, Peter discovered that the keys of the kingdom could open even the most secure prion door (Acts 12:6-10).

        Think about this: If you are a Christian you, too, have keys to the kingdom of heaven. You do not need an intermediary, for you have an unobstructed access to God. With obedient to the Father come all the resources you need to face any circumstance. When you are afraid, you have access to God's peace that surpasses all comprehension (Phil. 4:6) When you have a broken relationship, you have access to the God of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-21) When you meet someone in need, you have access to God's provision for that person. What an incredible privilege to be obedient, entrusted with keys to the kingdom of heaven. No obedient, No kingdom of heaven.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                    Never Rest Ministries          

        

But If Not, I will Still Trust The Lord

                                                      When The Door Slams

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except                 the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.           Matthew 16:4   

        Asking God for a miracle may indicate a lack of faith. Some feel they demonstrate great faith by continually asking God for miracles. They assume that in every situation God wants to do the spectacular. They presume, for example, that God wants to heal anyone who is sick or provide a miraculous escape from every difficulty they face. 

        Jesus condemned those who insisted that He perform miracles, because He knew their hearts. He recognized that they could not believe Him without constantly undergirding their faith with signs. Their faith was not strong enough to survive without a regular supply of the miraculous. Jesus condemned this lack of faith and left them.

         There are times when we prefer the miracle over the miracle worker. God calls this idolatry, and He discouraged it by refusing to provide miracles on demand (Jer. 2:11-13). Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not to ask for a miracle. One of the most amazing statements of faith in the Old Testament came from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace because of their obedience to God. 

        They expressed true faith when they assured king Nebuchadnezzar: "If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up" (Dan. 3:17-18). They were confident in God's ability to deliver them, but they trust Him so completely that they did not ask to be spared. 

        Think about this: Does your faith need miracles to sustain it? Or do you trust God so totally that you can say, "But if not, I will still trust the Lord".  

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                             Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                            Never Rest Ministries