Praying is Believing

One of the things I've tried to do in the past month and a half is exchange much of my free time spent watching TV with reading. One of the books I recently just tore through is called Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo. It is the story of a pastor's 4 year-old son, Colten, and his visit to heaven. This book is especially touching to me because of the example of child-like faith that it gives.

One of my favorite passages from the book is where Todd Burpo spots one of the clearest rainbows he has ever seen in his life. He is so astounded by it that he quickly calls his wife outside to look at it. As they are discussing how it could appear so vividly since it did not rain, they call Colten outside. However his response was not exactly what they expected. Burpo writes:

Colten squinted, peering up at the colors pouring across the sky.
"Cool," he said with a nonchalant smile. "I prayed for that yesterday."
Then he turned on his heel and went back to play.

Colten had complete faith that if he asked for it, God could and would do it. And God answered that prayer made in complete faith.

Myself and my co-workers have been practicing this throughout the summer. It has been astounding to hear the stories as my co-workers ask God with a certain expectation for something and then receive what they have asked for. I called on the name of Jesus Christ myself on the final trip of the summer when the team informed me that one of their students goes to the emergency room on every trip they take. They didn't believe me that God would answer my prayer, but I believed God that he would keep the LT Chicago site record clean of the emergency room. And he did, none of their students visited the hospital.

Now that I am home, I'm trying to live the mission life over the missionary life. So when the concert I wanted to attend on Saturday was threatened by rain, I thought, why not ask in complete faith for God to stop the rain and see what he does? Rock the Lakes was going on up in Milwaukee. I drove up with some friends to meet up with more friends and listen to the testimonies of The Almost, The Afters, Lecrae, and Skillet. Saturday morning it was pouring rain and the forecast predicted more thunderstorms on into the evening  With child-like faith I prayed that my Poppa would hold back the rain clouds that hovered over the park threatening our concer. And when my friends and I felt a sprinkle or two we held our hands up in the air and called for the rain to stop...

and what do you know... no rain.

My God is BIG God... why do I ever doubt that in His Name and for His purpose, He will not give me what I ask for in child-like faith. Why do I doubt rather than believe?

"But when he asks he must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:6

"Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21

The Greek word used in Mark 11:24 is pisteuo. It literally means to believe, have faith in, trust with the idea of hope and certain expectation.

Certain expectation... do you know for certain what you are expecting when you ask God for something?

I know this is how I want to start praying.
With HOPE and CERTAIN EXPECTATION