02 MAY

SECRETS OF ANSWERED PRAYERS(FAITH AND RIGHT MOTIVE)

“Then [Nehemiah] said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!…Please grant me success today by making the king favourable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

(Nehemiah 1:5-11)

Like Nehemiah, we need to pray in faith – that is, trust and belief.

• Trust God – “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1: 6-7).
• Believe God – “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22).

Our Saviour performed a miracle on a man who pleaded in desperation: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:24). He also taught His disciples, saying, “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. They are usually about 1 to 2 millimetres (0.039 to 0.079 ins) in diameter.

A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, so this comparison in this verse is to show us that the size of our miracles is not necessarily proportional to the size of our faith but we should pray in sincerity and with the right motive. God has already given us the mountain moving faith. Using it is dependent on us. Nehemiah prayed in faith in specific terms and received exactly what he prayed for and more. His motive was to enhance the Kingdom of God and fulfil God’s purpose. 

ACTION:  Pray in faith with trust and belief and search your heart for your motive.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord, to always focus on your purpose and building kingdom goals.