No one will acknowledge it, but we (Christians) question God more often than we will admit. Unlike non-Christians, some of whom question God existence, and especially after a natural disaster, such as hurricane Sandy or a tragedy like the Sandy Hook school shooting; we question God if we think He did not answer our prayers soon enough. But God doesn’t work in our time. The Bible says God makes all things beautiful in His time Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Believe that prayer works
Consequently, when you pray, you must believe. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Yet, lack of faith seems the dominant reason why we think God hasn’t answered our prayers. Often time the break through that we desire is within our grasp, but we need faith to claim it.
Prayer can move mountain
The woman with the issue of blood had a mountain size problem, but she also had extraordinary faith, which she exercise to achieve her desired outcome. She was one hundred percent sure if she touched the elm of Jesus’ garment, she would be made whole.
Another person who exercised extraordinary faith was the Centurion. One of his best servants was dying, so he requested Jesus to come and heal the servant. “And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed” (Mark 7:6-7). Jesus later commented, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Throughout His ministry, Jesus emphasized faith. In fact–in one of His discourses with His disciples, He said, “Therefore I say unto you, Whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them” (Mark 11:24).
Let's Talk Gospel 
Great post, Noel! Thanks for the reminder: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” . . . not always easy, but knowing God’s greatness and faithfulness dispels doubt. God bless!
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Thanks so much for your input KD! You are exactly right, sometimes we forget that we walk by faith, not by sight. Nevertheless, it is a learning process, that gets better with practice.
Happy Sunday! God blesses.
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This morning’s sermon was about Elijah and the trials God sent to test his faith – During the drought when ravens brought him bread, being told to go to Zarephath to the widow that only had a small amount of flour and oil. This post fits perfectly with that message. Thank you.
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Drusilla, the widow in question was an extraordinary woman. She had just enough for her and her son, but she obeyed the man of God and fed him first. It takes faith to do that. Sometimes it takes a difficult situation to bring out the best in us.
Thanks so much for stopping. God blesses.
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You bring up so many excellent points, Noel. Walking by faith, prayer, trust, discipleship is all a lifelong learning process. Yet when we surrender fully and commit to be yoked to Jesus, our walk is one lesson at a time. We learn from the Master who teaches each of us the unique lessons we are meant to learn through our experience of being in relationship with him.
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Thanks for your comment Susan! I am honored to have you grace my site with your presence. To God be the glory.
It is set in stones that if we practice the teachings of Jesus Christ then all things are possible–for we walk by faith, not by sight.
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If prayer to any deity worked then there would be evidence of this. There is none.
It also suggests that your god has a rather capricious nature when earth bound spokesmen such as William Lane Craig consider it is perfectly okay to prayer to your god with regards such an innocuous request as the outcome of a football game ( the american version ) and yet there are millions of children that die for want of a square meal who in their own right, are unable to pray.
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Believe me, If everybody followed the teachings of Jesus Christ, nobody would go hungry. People care more about money than they care about the well being of their fellow man.
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There are millions of children who are from christian families living in Africa, ( and other countries) and yet they die, like flies, every year.
My sister is currently in Malawi helping such kids…
Furthermore, how do you justify the death of children who are brought up in another religion who have never been introduced to your supposedly omniscient god.
How do you sleep at night, believing in a doctrine that allows children to fall prey to pedophile catholic priests?
And I am quite sure, many of these children pray more fervently than most ‘Christians’ for the god they have been inculcated to believe will look after them only to discover he abandons them time and again while this god’s earthly messenger is allowed to abuse them?
In fact he never abandoned them, did he? As he was never there in the first place.
Are you unable to see the hypocrisy in this?
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I see the hypocrisy, and it makes me wanna vomit. But the Bible says: “Not everyone that say Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven.
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So your god is, in actual fact , capricious, that he would deny a child succor simply because it is unaware of the god you genuflect to?
How do you come to terms with this capricious nature and still maintain faith in this deity?
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That is a myth perpetrated by unscrupulous Christians. The woman Jesus met at the well was not a believer. The Centurion whose servant was healed was a believer . I do not buy into those arguments.
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What are you going on about?
I am talking about children today, abandoned by your so called omniscient deity, left at the mercy of pedophile priests and the vagaries of adults and the myriads of different religions where they have no access to your wonderful benevolent god.
This is what I mean by his capricious nature.
You indoctrinate children and then they are abandoned by the god you have promised will care for them.
How do you deal with the patent lie these children are taught?
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Man abandon people, but God don’t. Children were very important to Christ. He said suffer the little children to come unto me.
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I know the text, thank you.
Please stop avoiding the question.
If children are important to your god, why is he capricious?
Why does he allow so many to suffer when he will apparently listen to prayers about a football game ( according to WLC)
How can you, in all good conscience, follow a god, and belong to a religion, that allows its/his messengers, Catholic Priests, to sexually and physically abuse children?
Please answer the question, if you can.
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Those ATROCITIES which you have outlined are not the work of God. God has given us free will. We have the choice to do good or do evil. But the Bible says every man will be paid according to his work.
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I did not say they were the work of god. I think you may have misunderstood or are deliberately being obtuse.
I will for now assume the former.
I said that the god you worship is capricious, based on the evidence and the thrust of this post regarding the efficacy of prayer.
Now, once again, if prayer works, how can you worship a capricious deity that abandons children to the heinous clutches of pedophile priests, among others, after inculcating them that the god they must fear and worship will always look after them especially at such crucial times, when no doubt they pray as if their life depends on it, and in some cases, may well do.
Please answer question. I am very interested in your answer.
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Well, I do not have all the answers. I do not know why bad things happen to good people and children.
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I am not asking if you know or do not know.
Please answer the questions
.
1. Why do you follow a capricious deity that allows such things?
2.Why do you teach children to fear this god and claim it will care for them when it obviously abandons them at such crucial times?
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That is a great question. One that I have wrestled with since I was a teenager.
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And your answer?
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I thought I would allow you time to think about the questions I have been asking.
Have you examined your conscience and managed to formulate any honest answers?
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