Seeing Results

One Sunday recently in Sunday school we were talking about God sightings, and a few people shared ways they had seen God at work that week. This week I had a few answers to prayer. One was a specific solution to a technical problem that came to me during the night. The next day I found Psalm 16:7 (ESV), “I bless the Lord, who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” God had done exactly that.

Another answer to prayer was that multiple people came to basically the same conclusion on an issue independently. It seemed clear to all of us that God was closing that particular door. That led me to Psalm 38:15, “But for You, O Lord, do I wait; it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer.” God provided the answer when it was needed.

Earlier in the week I read 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” I was really puzzling over how that kind of encouragement can be accomplished when so much of what I deal with from day to day is confidential for various reasons. But by the end of the week I knew that friends don’t necessarily need to know all the details of a problem in order to pray for you and thereby encourage you. Some prayer requests must be shared only in general terms, and prayer must be offered in faith that God knows all the details.

However, that doesn’t mean that prayers need to be vague. I always wonder what people mean when they pray “God, be with so and so” or “bless them.” God is always with us and He is always blessing us in one way or another, so what do those prayers accomplish? I know those phrases have become a kind of Christianese shorthand for “accomplish good things in that person’s life,” but we can tend to use words without much thought or purpose. Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

There are plenty of biblical prayers that we can pray even when we don’t know the details of what a person is dealing with. Praying for wisdom and guidance is usually a good idea (Colossians 1:9). Who doesn’t need wisdom in the complex decisions we have to make every week? Prayer for the right words at the right time is beneficial for the wide variety of relationships we have (Ephesians 6:19). And we could all use prayers for growth in faith (Ephesians 4:15-16). We may not know exactly what to pray, but “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In the situations I’ve mentioned, my primary prayer was for wisdom in what I should do. God gave clear direction in each case. If I had prayed only vague prayers, though God would still have done what He willed, I probably would not have noticed His answer. My faith was strengthened by seeing how God was at work not just in my own life and circumstances but in other people as well. “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:16, 18).

May we all be spurred on to pray specifically and persistently for those we know, and may we find encouragement in learning how God has answered those prayers.

“In the day of trouble I call upon You, for You answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Degrees of Faith

Reading through Matthew chapters 8-9 this week I was struck by the varying degrees of faith expressed by the people who encountered Jesus. The leper says, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean” (8:2 ESV). The centurion's request is “only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (8;8). The disciples are rebuked by Jesus, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (8:26). The friends of the paralytic expressed their faith by bringing him to Jesus (9:2). The bleeding woman was told, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well” (9:22). The crowd in the home of the girl who had died laughed at Jesus (9:24). The blind men were healed after bring told, “According to your faith be it done to you” (9:29). And then there were the Pharisees who said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons” (9:34).

I’m not sure where I would fall on the spectrum of faith. I would like to be like the centurion and pray “Just say the word,” but that’s probably rare. Sometimes I might take the risk to reach out and touch Him. But if I’m honest, most of the time I’m probably like the disciples and He’s asking “Why are you so afraid?”

The amazing thing in these chapters is that everyone besides the Pharisees received what they needed. It didn’t matter whether their faith was great or small. That is encouraging news for those of us whose faith is weak. No doubt each of these people had stronger faith after meeting Jesus than they had before. Their diseases and dangers were the tools God used to strengthen their faith. As James wrote,

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Most of us want the results without the tests. We want strong faith without going through the trials. But God doesn’t generally work that way. We actually can’t know how strong our faith is until it is tested and proved. We may know the Bible and believe every word, and yet still struggle with trusting God when challenges arise. The good news is that even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). From this verse we can also find comfort in the fact that the men who walked with Jesus and watched Him perform many miracles still struggled with “little faith.” You would think that they would have been His star pupils, but they failed too. Though it isn’t written, I wonder if Jesus was implying “If your faith had been in Me instead of in your own abilities, you could have cast out that demon.”

Moving into a new year, I want to pray “Lord, increase my faith” as the apostles did in Luke 17:5. I have to trust that the trials that strengthen faith will be moderated by the grace and mercy of God. He knows best what is needed, and He’ll never give me more than He can handle. Whether I can handle it or not is a moot point when God is in control.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is refined by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.