This morning at our Men's Prayer Breakfast, our youth pastor, Chad, shared a devotion with us about prayer from James 1. His main challenge was to pray in faith, earnestly expecting God to answer - not doubting.
This is difficult for me with respect to chronic illness. My grandmother died from leukemia, my aunt died from pancreatic cancer, and recently, the son of a couple that went on a mission trip seemed to be recovering from a severe car acident, but then suddenly regressed and died. I thought that in each of these situations I was praying earnestly and with faith that the Lord would heal them, so I am confused. Maybe we are supposed to pray earnestly and believing that He will answer, even though sometimes He doesn't. That doesn't seem very efficient, though.
Paul challenges us to prayer, also:
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. ... 12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God.
Heavenly Father, please help me pray genuinely - believing that you hear, care, and answer. Lord, please forgive me for my unbelief, and please grow my faith to trust that you will answer my prayers as I genuinely pray according to your will. Lord, please change my heart to match your heart so that I will pray for what you want. I love you, Lord. Please use me and draw me closer to you. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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