Doubts And Prayer
"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." - James 5:16
PETER’S UNUSAL ESCAPE
Acts 12 record an answer to prayer that gives much encouragement. Peter was taken to prison by the Romans. He was going to die in two days. A small group of Christians gathered at someone’s house and began to pray for him. (God loves to do great things through little groups.) Then an amazing thing happened.
An angel suddenly appeared before Peter in the middle of the night. The chains on his arms and legs fell off. Peter thought he was dreaming. The angel then led him past two guards and the main gate opened by itself. He was led into the city and the angel disappeared!
Still amazed by everything that had happened, Peter walked to the house where his friends were praying and knocked on the courtyard door. A servant girl, Rhoda, called to see who it was without opening the door. She recognized Peter’s voice when he answered. Rhoda was so excited that she didn’t even open the door but instead ran back to tell everyone. But no one would believe her. He kept knocking.
A friend told me a story about his work that illustrates so well why not to play with temptation.
The whole scene is incredibly comical. A group of sincere believers are praying up a storm for God to free Peter. They think he’s in prison but he’s already been freed by God in answer to their prayers and he’s standing outside the house they’re praying in. He’s there knocking on the door trying to get in and no one believes it! Finally they opened the door and everyone was astonished to see it really was him.
Some people say you have to believe that God is going to answer your prayers for Him to answer them. You sure don’t see that here.
NOT PERFECTLY CONFIDENT
This humorous story can help us understand one of the greatest secrets of prayer.
These people obviously didn’t believe much that God would answer their prayers. Their faith was weak. But they prayed anyway. And God wonderfully answered their feeble prayers— so feeble that even when their answer was standing at the doorway they didn’t believe it!
WHAT ABOUT DOUBTS?
James 1:6 contains a passage that many Christians get confused about. It says to pray without doubting and you’ll get what you ask for. Many Christians apply this to all prayer and are continually fighting doubts in their mind. That’s no fun… and not effective either.
But if you look at this verse’s context, it’s talking about asking for wisdom—ask for wisdom without doubting. This means, “Ask for God’s plan in your life—for His wisdom and direction—and ask being sure that you want what His answer will be.”
In Jeremiah there’s a passage that is a great illustration of some people supposedly wanting God’s wisdom in their lives, but when God gave it you see a different response. In 42:6-23 they asked the prophet Jeremiah what God’s will was in a particular situation. Jeremiah told them and they said they didn’t like his answer and called him a liar. They weren’t happy in the slightest to hear what God had to say. (See 43:2).
There was a young man who asked God about what he should do about a girlfriend he had. After he asked, many things happened to show him that he should break up with her. But he didn’t like God’s answer so he hesitated for a long while. He asked God what His will was, but his reluctance to obey showed that he didn’t really want God’s answer unless it agreed with his desire.
If you ask God for His wisdom—His plan and His direction—make sure you really want it. It may be that God’s answer will not be what your flesh wants. Make sure your prayer is real. That is what this verse in James is talking about when it says to ask for wisdom without doubting. Truly want God’s answer whatever way it swings.
ASK…EVEN IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS
Now back to Peter being freed from prison. These sincere believers in Acts 12 didn’t believe 100% that God was going to answer their prayers. Not even close! Maybe you have had the same experience.
The other day I was walking by a house and I needed to talk to the owner. I couldn’t go in the gate because a big grumpy dog was in the yard. I prayed a little prayer that I felt was foolish; “O God, have someone open the door (it was 100 feet away).”
I remembered Philippians 4:6 which says to let God know your requests. I didn’t believe in the slightest that my prayer would be answered, but I knew I should let God know my desire–even though it was ridiculously small. I took two more steps and the door swung open. How timely! I hollered over the fence and asked the lady standing there what I needed to know. She cheerfully answered then she turned and walked inside. I still don’t know why she opened the door.
THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN
It’s simple to write off something like that as a coincidence. But if you walk with God over the years there are hundreds of things that happen and you know the living God is part of your life and that He is answering your prayers. Sometimes answers are simple like that and they help you out of an irritating situation. Other times the answers are exceedingly involved and they shock you. People can say, “There is no God,” and your thought is “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” because God has shown Himself so powerful in your personal experience.
Now back to Peter’s friends ‘ situation. There’s a very important lesson coming from the example of these average folks. James says that it’s the prayer of a righteous man that accomplishes great things. It’s not emphasizing believing the answer will come but rather the Christian’s walk with God.
A great goal is to become more righteous every day and a key part of that is growing in love to god and people. Don’t don’t fight your doubts. If you want the darkness of doubt to flee, turn on the light.
Rejoice in the promises of God and rejoice in Him. This is one way that doubts disappear. Become also like Abraham in areas where you feel strongly that He has spoken to you about something. Abraham rejoiced more and more and knew that what God said He would do He was able to do. (See Romans 4:17-20). This true faith is a by-product of loving and obeying God—not the result of continual mind battles against doubt.
ASK FOR WHAT SEEMS RIGHT AND GOOD
In areas where you are really not sure if what you’re asking is God’s will or not, still ask for what seems right and good because Philippians 4:6 says to ask your requests.
So ask in simple obedience to God. In your heart remember the verse in Psalms, “Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.” (Psalms 119:149)
In other words, “God, if answering my prayer the way I’m asking is Your perfect will, please do it. But if Your best for me is “No” or “Wait” or something else, please do that. Answer me according to what Your love knows is best.”
Often God knows that granting a specific request we ask will stop His greatest plans for us so He doesn’t answer with a yes. Isn’t it true that every good parent has times when, like God, that must be the case. And don’t you want His best for you, not your requests—if the two aren’t the same?
Mary and Martha asked Jesus to come and heal their brother who was sick (John 11). He didn’t answer their request and Lazarus died. Instead Jesus raised him from the dead! Wow! I’d chose the latter.
“STORED UP” PRAYERS
It’s often that way with us. God has significant answers coming that we don’t know or expect. He “stores up” our smaller requests and His answers—which are much bigger than we realize—are coming. We should keep asking for our little requests, but not get discouraged when they are not answered right away. “Stored up” prayers can have amazing answers. We need to cling to trust in God when we have answers are no or wait. We have to trust in His lovingkindness to us.
A WILD AND TIMELY ANSWER
I remember one time years ago when I kept asking God to help with finances for our ministry. We kept having all kinds of bills hit us and all our money was being drained inch-by-inch. There was no answer—not even a tiny hint of an answer came for a long, long time. Finally I wrote in my prayer book, O God, our money completely runs out in three weeks on April 1st. Please help!
On March 31st someone handed me a nice letter. I opened it and could not believe my eyes. Stuffed in it was a check for $50,000! That’s worth $100,000 today! And, get this. The check was dated one day later—April 1st—the exact day I would completely run out of money.
Later I asked the man who gave the letter to me why he dated the check one day ahead. He told me he didn’t know why, but he felt should. My little prayers were “stored up” for a super-sized answer–a whole lot more than I expected!
KEEP ON!
Don’t be discouraged if you go through a period when it seems God is deaf to your prayers. Just keep seeking God and seeking to please Him. You are beloved to Him and He hears every single one of your requests. He’ll answer in small and big ways when the time is exactly right.
No doubt Moses prayed mountains of prayers to free his people from the enslavement of Egypt. For years it seemed that there would be no answer. But then God moved. Nothing could stop Him. He turned an evil empire upside down to grant Moses’ requests.
God, your perfect Father, knows the best timing and the best answers. Trust in Him at all times. (Psalms 62:8) This is the way to great peace and great joy–and great answers!