Nancy Kuhuski

“I just knew it…in that moment as we were praying, I felt it to the depth of my being, it was going to be okay”. A friend’s family who lives in Houston was watching the flood waters rise and knew it was just a mater of time before the water was in their home. Being on the other side of the country and unable to sandbag or do anything else in a physical sense, prayer was the one thing they could do. As a small group gathered to pray for this family, indeed the flood waters were held back from their home. Truly a miracle given the flooding their neighbors experienced. The water came to the edge of their home and went no further.

As my friend shared this story, I was struck with a hard question about how I pray. I had to ask myself – do I pray with hope, or do I pray with faith? Hope is a good thing, don’t get me wrong! I am all about hope…in fact, as an optimist, hope comes fairly easy to me. I also know the source of my hope which makes all the difference. What I’m talking about here is my tendency to pray hoping God will answer in a way that makes sense to me, but not with faith that He will. Wow… that’s hard to admit out loud! I trust God, so why do I lack prayers of great faith?

I think self-protection is part of this. If I pray just hoping, then if my prayers are not answered the way I desired them to be, I won’t be so disappointed. …As if the God that spoke this world into existence could disappoint me! This is flawed thinking! There is certainly a difference between praying with great faith believing God will answer according to His will and expansive view of the past, present, and future, and demanding God do it my way. When I pray only hoping, I am in essence making God very small. I’m also saying I don’t really believe God to do what feels impossible, although I believe He is capable and does do the impossible!

The verses of Mark 9:23-24 detailed an interaction between Jesus and a father regarding his son. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” I resonate with this father! I do believe, but I need help to overcome my unbelief!

What about you? Am I the only one here? Where have you found yourself praying simply hoping God will answer your prayer instead of praying with great faith that He will answer? Will you too challenge your thinking and ask God to help your unbelief? We serve a big God friends, and he is still in the business of miracles!