Praying without a plan B
James 1:5-8 (ESV) " If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
We know that one of the reasons we pray is because it is a
demonstration of our faith in God. We believe that God hears and that He
answers, and so we tell Him our needs and concerns, and ask for His help. It is
faith that gives our prayers power. That is what James 1 is all about.
How many times, however, do we ask God for His help, but
have a Plan B ready just in case He does not answer our prayers the way we want
Him to? Or, perhaps we ask God for His help, and then get tired of waiting for
God to act and we decide to fix the situation in our own wisdom and strength.
This is being double-minded and James tells us that we should not expect God to
answer those prayers.
In Genesis, God promised to make a great nation from Abraham
and Sarah, something that seemed impossible at the time. They waited for years
but no child was born. Had God forgotten? Was He unable to fulfill His
promises? No, God remembered, and the day finally came when they celebrated the
birth of their son, Isaac (Genesis 21:1-2).
Hebrews 11 tells us, "By faith Sarah herself received
power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him
faithful who had promised."
Yes, Sarah had moments of doubt and even tried a Plan B with
her servant, Hagar, that resulted in generations of problems. However, in the
end, she realized that God was faithful to His promise and that only God could
answer her prayers and give her a son. God rewarded her faith.
Do you pray in faith, completely expecting God to fulfill
His promises to you? If not, then maybe the place to start today is to recognize
your need and to say with the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith!"
NLT translates verse 8 "Their loyalty is divided between God an the world and they are unstable in everything they do." Can we expect God to answer our prayers when we are holding on to the desires of our flesh and/or trusting in the wisdom of the world? According to James the answer is NO! Faith in God alone to answer my prayers and meet my needs is what this passage has always said to me. It also says that God is faithful to keep his promises. As Scott pointed out, God kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah about the birth of their son Isaac. And even though at that time they were not praying specifically for a child, God was faithful to what He had promised just as He will be faithful to us in answering our prayers when we pray in faith alone to Him. We should offer praise today to the One True and Living God that is always faithful.
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