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by L B Cowman
Believing Prayer
June 17
"Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way" (John 4:50).
"When ye pray, believe" (Mark 11:24).
When there is a matter that requires definite prayer, pray till you believe God,
until with unfeigned lips you can thank Him for the answer. If the answer still
tarries outwardly, do not pray for it in such a way that it is evident that you
are not definitely believing for it. Such a prayer in place of being a help will
be a hindrance; and when you are finished praying, you will find that your faith
has weakened or has entirely gone. The urgency that you felt to offer this kind
of prayer is clearly from self and Satan. It may not be wrong to mention the
matter in question to the Lord again, if He is keeping you waiting, but be sure
you do so in such a way that it implies faith. Do not pray yourself out of
faith. You may tell Him that you are waiting and that you are still believing
Him and therefore praise Him for the answer. There is nothing that so fully
clinches faith as to be so sure of the answer that you can thank God for it.
Prayers that pray us out of faith deny both God's promise in His Word and also
His whisper "Yes," that He gave us in our hearts. Such prayers are but the
expression of the unrest of one's heart, and unrest implies unbelief in
reference to the answer to prayer. "For we which have believed do enter into
rest" (Heb. 4:3). This prayer that prays ourselves out of faith frequently
arises from centering our thoughts on the difficulty rather than on God's
promise. Abraham "considered not his own body," "he staggered not at the promise
of God" (Rom. 4:19, 20). May we watch and pray that we enter not into temptation
of praying ourselves out of faith. --C. H. P.
***
Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but taking God at His Word. --Evans
***
The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. --George Mueller
***
You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives us the promises in a quiet hour; God seals our covenants with great and gracious words, then He steps back and waits to see how much we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. It is then that faith wins its crown. That is the time to look up through the storm, and among the trembling, frightened seamen cry, "I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me."
"Believe and trust; through stars and suns,
Through life and death, through soul and sense,
His wise, paternal purpose runs;
The darkness of His Providence
Is starlit with Divine intents."
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