Most everyone says they believe in prayer. But, there is no real believing in prayer without the act of praying. To speak of believing in the power of prayer without putting the discipline into practice is like believing you can swim without ever getting into the water. The old Biblical pragmatist we know as James wrote, "Bu be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves..." (James 1:22) It is not enough to talk about what we believe, it must be put into practice.
When we pray, we should pray with expectancy. Again the writer James tells us, "But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:6) Praying with expectancy is a spiritual marker which enables us to measure how much we believe in the prayers we are offering for others. Too many times we pray as a last measure without any real confidence that it is going to make any difference. With such prayers, no one should be surprised that such praying is devoid of power. It is nothing more than an exercise in futility.
When we do get beyond talking about praying and actually begin to pray for someone, we may sense within our spirit a divine leading which brings us to a point of action. But, coming to a point of such a realization still has to be undergirded with will and determination. Many a prayer has gone unanswered and unheeded, or so it might seem to us, because we were not willing to do what we were led to do. Praying does not often bring us into a "Let George do it" moment, but one which is likely to involve us in the work needed beyond the praying. To believe in prayer is to believe such is also a part of what happens when we pray and then getting on with it.
When we pray, we should pray with expectancy. Again the writer James tells us, "But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:6) Praying with expectancy is a spiritual marker which enables us to measure how much we believe in the prayers we are offering for others. Too many times we pray as a last measure without any real confidence that it is going to make any difference. With such prayers, no one should be surprised that such praying is devoid of power. It is nothing more than an exercise in futility.
When we do get beyond talking about praying and actually begin to pray for someone, we may sense within our spirit a divine leading which brings us to a point of action. But, coming to a point of such a realization still has to be undergirded with will and determination. Many a prayer has gone unanswered and unheeded, or so it might seem to us, because we were not willing to do what we were led to do. Praying does not often bring us into a "Let George do it" moment, but one which is likely to involve us in the work needed beyond the praying. To believe in prayer is to believe such is also a part of what happens when we pray and then getting on with it.
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