Effective Prayer

I've been studying through the book of Matthew, and I am amazed at how God seems to be speaking directly into my life. Each chapter I have read through seems to be at the exact right time with perfect reminders of what God is doing.

When I was reading through Matthew 7 and 8, the idea of repetition kept coming to my attention. Matthew 7 has a section of verses titled Effective Prayer, and the first verse under that heading says "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for..." (vs 7, NLT). Recently I have found myself asking God for the same thing over and over, asking Him to accomplish what I can't.

As I continue in this pursuit of prayer, I remind myself of all the prayers He has faithfully answered before. Yet still, what He will do and when is unknown to me. I can't lie, fear takes a foothold here. What if I ask continually and He says no, what then?

As I continued in my study I found myself reflecting back on this concept in Matthew 8. The beginning of this chapter starts with an account of a Roman officer asking Jesus to heal his servant, but there is an incredible catch that hit me like a truck: the intensity of the man's faith. When the officer asked for Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus replied, "I will come and heal him" (vs 7). This isn't the surprising part. The solider responded to Jesus saying, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8, NLT). Wow...Would I have enough faith to make my request and trust that it is done? Or would I beg Jesus to come to my home and do the healing work in front of me?

We do not always see the process or the timeline in which God will work, and we don't have to. The last part of this account ends with Jesus response in the following verse, "Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, 'Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.' And the young servant was healed that same hour" (Matthew 8:13, NLT). I pray that my faith is this strong in times of fear, and I pray that my response to Jesus is faithful no matter the time in which He chooses to work. Sometimes healing or answers don't come in the same hour, but that does not mean He is not with us in our prayer.

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As I kept wrestling with God's answers to my prayers, I came to the account of Jesus calming the storm in the boat with His disciples. As a violent storm tossed the boat, Jesus slept. The disciples, however, panicked. They woke Jesus up and cried out for Him to save them in the midst of their immediate danger. Before Jesus calms the waters, He rebukes them for their lack of faith. He still answers their requests for safety while calling into question their fear (see Matthew 8:23-27, NLT).

Why am I afraid in storms even when I know Jesus is with me? The disciples were terrified even though the Messiah was just a few feet from them. Would I be scared in the boat too? I am inclined to say yes. As I read through this brief conversation between Jesus and His disciples, I was met with the merciful peace of our God. He's in the boat with me, I can trust Him. He's in the boat with me, and He has dominion over the storm. Am I still afraid of my circumstances? Some days I absolutely am, and I remind myself Who goes before me.

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We can't know His answers or the time of them, but we can know that He is present in the storm. We can't always know the outcomes of our situations, but we can see evidence of Jesus responding to the faith and prayers of His people. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep praying.