2^nd June 2012

SEEDS FOR HARVESTING 7-20

Matt 21:22
"Everything you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Jesus always teaches with authority, as the Son of God.
There are never any 'ifs', 'buts' or 'perhaps' in his teachings.
When he says "everything" that is what he really means.

Here, Jesus is teaching us how to pray.
We must not pray demanding that he fill our need.
We can ask anything of him, on the understanding
that he it is who decides what the answer will be,
and not we ourselves.

On the other hand, when we pray for healing for a loved one,
we must always believe that the answer
fits his plans and not our own expectations.
Our praying must be deeply linked to our faith,
and we must believe without a shadow of doubt
that God knows the answers even before we begin our prayer.

Our praying must not include the words "if it is your will".
We cannot pray by faith with a question hanging over our heads.
This is not praying in faith.

Paul puts us right when he says
"We do not even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray.
But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed,
for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will".

The words of Jesus are so important for us,
"believing, you shall receive".
We must also remember
that it is God who knows better than we do
what is best for us and our loved ones.

Bob Imms 27.5.12