Faith

It’s impossible to please God apart from faith.  And why?  Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 MSG)

Everyone has faith.  How about when you go to the doctor?  He gives you a prescription of which you cannot pronounce the name or even understand its ingredients – yet you take it – that’s faith.  How about when you prepare for the next day?  You lay out your clothes; write out your to-do-list; then go to sleep – expecting to wake up – that’s faith.  Everyone has faith.  However, not everyone has the type of faith that pleases God.  That type of faith is real faith.

Real faith is two-fold.  First, we must believe that God exists.  In his book The Root of the Righteous, A.W. Tozer explains Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the non-existent.  In other words, our faith is not wishful thinking.  It’s not based on the non-existent.  Real faith is based on the actual and factual, even though invisible.  God is invisible (Col. 1:15, Romans 1:20, 1 Tim 1:17), but he is not non-existent.  Not only must we believe that God exists, we also must believe he will respond to us when we pray.  We must understand what this really means.  Faith expects God to respond.  That is it.  Faith doesn’t demand that whatever is being asking - be granted.

Matthew 7:7 has often been misquoted.  It says Ask and it will be given to you (NIV).  In context, Jesus is talking about not judging others and discerning the shortcomings in our own lives (v. 1-6).  Without the disciples asking the questions – How will we be able to accomplish this? - Jesus answers: ask and it will be given to you.  What will be given?  Any and everything I want?  No!  Jesus is not giving us a blank check here.  If we read further, he talks about parents giving good gifts to their children.  The good gift Jesus is referring to, concerning us, is the Holy Spirit, who gives us right judgment and discernment.  This is made clearer in Luke 11:13, which tells the same historical account with a bit more detail. Jesus says: If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (NIV Emphasis mine).

Faith then is to believe that God exists and that He cares enough to respond to us when we pray.  So if you have prayed, and God has not given you want you wanted, this does not necessarily mean you lack faith.  And it certainly does not mean God does not care about you.

Today, take a moment, go back to God and pray again.  He will respond.  It may not be the response you expect, but your real faith knows it will be the response that is needed.