From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Mon, Jan 10, 2022 at 6:29 AM

Subject: 1-10-22 THOUGHTS

1-10-22   THOUGHTS

What does it mean to “pray believing?”  If I ask God to heal a dear friend from a sickness, and my friend dies, where am I?  In my lifetime, I have prayed earnestly for a job and remained unemployed for over a year.  The James passage below says I must “ask in faith without any doubting”?   I don’t know about tomorrow, but I KNOW WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE, and I KNOW WHO HOLDS MY HAND!  Our asking “in faith without doubting” is set over against the “double-minded man.”   It is the man or woman of FAITH that prays to the God of heaven who controls all things.  In “that believing child of God”,  “faith nothing doubting” finds its meaning.  

Jas 1:5-8     But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  6  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8  being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Matt 26:38-42   Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."  39  And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." 40  And He came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41  "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42  He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."

In the above prayer of our Lord, I submit that He knew he was not going to get what He prayed for!  The CUP that Jesus wanted to AVOID was his death on the cross.
John 12:27-28    "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.   28  "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

I believe in God...totally!  When I pray, I pray believing IN THE GOD WHO IS!  It isn’t the “what I want” that I believe in, it’s in THE GOD I PRAY TO that belief must reside.  

My Prayer:
Lord help our weakness as we pray to you who has total power over all things.  Take away all doubt in believing.  May our hearts and minds be singular in our faith toward you.  You, O God, are our unchangeable rock and God, with whom we expect to spend eternity.  You have promised and we believe.  We joyfully wait and depend on you in all things.  
In the name of Jesus,          Amen.