It was overwhelming that people were counting on my prayers to help my
friend. My faith, what there was of it, seemed so small and weak.
Then I had a wonderful
and liberating thought: maybe I should first ask God to give me the faith to
trust Him for this miracle. I didn't know the reference, but I suddenly remembered
the phrase, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (I found
it later in Hebrews 12:2).
If Jesus is both the
author and the perfecter of our faith, then why not ask Him to grant me faith
to believe Him for whatever He wanted to do?
I think we’re on solid
Scriptural ground when we ask God to give us faith to trust Him. Saving faith
is itself a gift for God (Ephesians 2:8-9 - I wrote about this in Even Your Faith is From Him!) Our Lord has sovereignly gifted us with “a measure of faith”
(Romans 12:3). Certainly He can, if He chooses, increase that measure for His
own glory.
Remember the father of
the demon-possessed boy? He brought his poor, tormented son to Jesus’
disciples, but they couldn't help. So they took him to Jesus, who said, All things are possible for one who believes. So the father prayed: I believe; help my
unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) That’s the prayer I mean.
On another occasion the
disciples made a similar request. After Jesus had taught them a very difficult
lesson about forgiveness, they cried out, Increase our faith! (Luke 17:5)
Praying for greater
faith recognizes it comes from the Lord in the first place. How humbling is it
to admit that the one thing God tells us we must do - trust Him! - is itself
beyond us apart from His grace!
Notice, this is not a
way of manipulating God into giving us want we want. With humble hearts we
approach our God, knowing that He controls all things and that all He
has chosen to do will be done. But He has given us prayer as one of the ways we
participate in His will being done. So we pray: “Lord, I’m not sure what Your
plans are in this situation. My heart longs to see X, Y, and Z happen, and I hope that’s what
You’ll do. I believe, but help my unbelief. Grant that I can believe you for whatever
You want done, to Your glory and honor. Your will be done!”
So that’s how I prayed,
so many years ago. Father, please grant me the faith to believe whatever You
want to do. I believe, but help my unbelief. Please heal Pat!
God was so gracious: Pat came out of the
coma and recovered completely.
