expect HIM to answer…

another condition for answered prayer is you must believe that GOD will answer.  you can’t doubt.  you must expect GOD to answer. 

james 1.5-7 (niv), if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask GOD who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. 

james says, “if you need any wisdom go ahead and ask GOD; HE’ll give it to you.”  HE’s not going to complain.  you don’t have to convince HIM.  verse 6, but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  that man should not think he will receive anything from the LORD.  he’s a double-minded man unstable in all he does. 

there's only one kind of prayer that GOD answers:  the prayer of faith.  matthew 9.29 (niv) says, according to your faith, will it be done unto you.  what are you expecting GOD to do in your life?  hebrews 11.6 (niv) says, without faith it is impossible to please GOD.  you can’t even please GOD if you don’t have faith. it’s the number one prerequisite in life.  have faith.  it’s such a major factor.

what is faith?  is faith believing that GOD can do it?  “i believe GOD can do it!”  that’s not faith.  when you believe GOD can, that’s just a fact.  GOD can do it whether you believe it or not.  “i believe GOD might do it.”  that's not faith either. that’s hope.  you hope HE might. 

“i believe GOD will do it.”  that’s faith.  not believing GOD can do it, not believing GOD might do it, but believing GOD will do it.  faith. 

faith is not desire.  some people think, “i’ve got this tremendous desire.  i’ve got these goals that i’m praying about – family goals, SPIRITual goals, financial goals, health goals.  i’m praying about all these goals.  i really have a desire.”  desire is not faith.  desire can lead to faith but it’s not faith.

just a thought from the front porch…