Pray in Faith

God is sovereign and supreme, and He is faithful to accomplish His good plans and purposes.  Though He rules over all, God is easily moved by the prayers of people who trust in Him.  God does all things without instruction or direction, yet He yields to answer prayers of His children as a king graciously responds to a humble request of his subject.  God is not whimsical or impulsive as our prayers can sometimes be, and it is a timeless wonder He chooses to respond to our cries.

We observe God answered the prayer of Isaac offered on behalf of his wife Rebekah in Genesis 25:21:  "Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived."  Isaac was likely very well-versed with God's promise to make of his father Abraham a great nation and the very long time he and Sarah waited before he was conceived in his mother's womb.  God waited until a miracle was required, and the deadness of Abraham's flesh and Sarah's barren womb were easily overcome by God's power.  Isaac interceded in prayer for his wife, and God answered his prayer when Rebekah conceived.

The joy of conception and the expectancy of becoming parents was overshadowed as Rebekah suffered an uncomfortable pregnancy.  Rebekah also prayed to God as it says in Genesis 25:22-23:  "But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. ²³ And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger."  God revealed why her stomach felt like a cage match and much more than a sonogram ever could about the future:  she was going to have twin sons of whom God would make two nations.  At the request of Isaac God took action and gave Rebekah conception, and God responded to her inquiry by speaking to her and even told her of things to come.

God's ways of answering prayers of faith are more varied than the people who bring their problems, heartaches and hurts to the LORD.  In the Bible we see God often answered prayers in unexpected ways.  When God sent venomous snakes among His people who complained and murmured against Him, they asked Moses to pray that God would take away the snakes.  God responded to their prayer in a different way in Numbers 21:8-9:  "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived."  Rather than removing snakes to prevent additional people from being bitten, God made a way of healing for those who were dying--and anyone else who would be bitten.  The bronze serpent on a pole people looked at and were healed foreshadowed the coming Messiah Jesus who would be lifted up on a cross, that whoever believes on Him might not perish but have everlasting life.

When we are distressed by the fruitlessness of our efforts, life become a massive struggle and tussle, when we want dangers and what puts us in fear taken away from us, we can come to God in prayer.  We can intercede on the behalf of others and bring our requests to the LORD knowing He is inclined to hear us and will answer according to His grace and in His time.  Because the LORD is at hand we are wise to heed Philippians 4:6-7:  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Peace is not found by obtaining our desired outcomes but by knowing and trusting Jesus Christ who is our peace and is always faithful to hear and answer prayer.