Thursday, August 12, 2010

"I can ask anything" faith

A discouraged woman writes that God has not answered her prayers and she is very discouraged and has lost her faith.  She has "I can ask anything" faith.  She knows the letter of the teaching but does not have the wisdom of experience and full understanding.

What does "I can ask anything" faith looks like?  This is her understanding of prayer: "The Bible also tells me that I may ask anything and have whatsoever I desire so that my joy may be full."  She says: "I know that again I can ask of anything and as long as i believe that it shall be done for me."


This Discouraged One has not read my understanding of prayer.  I suggest that she read Prayer guidelines on my web site www.HealMyLife and that she investigate www.Listening-prayer.com as well.


There she will discover my understanding of prayer is not "I know that again I can ask of anything and as long as i believe that it shall be done for me."

Jesus who moved with much authority and great faith never imposed his will on the Father but said "I do nothing but what I see the Father doing."  This humble constraint puts us back in our place.  We seek first God's will and God's kingdom not that what we want.  Jesus said God would take care of that stuff.  Our needs would be met.

This is a clue to a whole new attitude toward prayer.  We do not 'write out own ticket with God.'  We cannot have anything we ask for if we have faith because heart faith is a gift of God that comes when we are in alignment with God.  We get in alignment with God by listening to Him.  God sets the agenda not us.

I tell her: "You need to be taught to surrender to God, to let go of your agenda, to submit to God's will, to offer this situation to God, to praise God in the midst for how he is going to use this to transform you into the image of Christ.

Let you heart be broken through submission to God not frustrated by trying to pressure God.  A broken and contrite heart He will not despise.  This means our heart yearns for what God years for not our will.  Godly brokenness creates godly beauty.  Seek what is beautiful to God.  Be His bride (first)."

She has lost her faith.  I tell her that her "loss of faith" may be good:  "Your understanding of what "faith" is to accomplish is not really that of the servant of God.  It needs, therefore, to be broken so that God's truth can be discovered.  You had God in a small box under your control.  God as your puppet did not behave.  You lost faith in your puppet God.  Good.  God is no one's puppet.

Be open to something new.  Find it through worship.  Worship means surrendering everything you hold on to to God.  Let there be no agenda of yours between you and God.  Ask God to show you anything you are trying to impose on your relationship with God.  Surrender it until you start to feel peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Let go of your agenda (and your idols) let God (true God) invade your life.

You will find true love, true peace and true joy."