To put it in terms of faith in God, there is a difference between saying “I trust God” and “I trust God to keep me healthy” or “I trust God to get me a job” or any other trust that is based on a specific something that I want. I can tell God what I would like, but intense faith is not about me telling Him what to do.
A few weeks ago I started praying for perfect weather for our son’s outdoor wedding. Then I realized that while specific prayers are not sinful, it seemed wiser to ask God to give us the kind of day that He thought best. I know that if God had a reason for rain (it happened the day before) or heavy smoke from wildfires (it happened the day after), then in faith I must trust His will, whatever happened. This time, the weather was perfect and the only day that week with that perfection. Besides, trusting Him totally always brings glory to Him, not to my praying ability!
I’m thinking that “whatever You want faith” is a big shield. Specific ‘I wants’ do not protect me. Had I asked for perfection and didn’t get it, doubts would creep in. Did I pray wrong? Did God hear me? Does God care? Leaving the choice up to God takes intense faith, particularly when what happens might not be what I wanted. However, trusting Him no matter what is the faith that fights the enemy’s lies.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
Solders need to be dressed in armor to protect themselves, but they must also use that protective gear. It does no good if I is leaned against a wall. When I pray, I am going to battle. My faith is not about telling God what to do, or persuading God to do what I think is the right thing. It is about being yielded to Him and resisting the enemy, that relentless evil one that wants me to quit fighting and be defeated. He throws those flaming darts with greater force when I think God should do this or that, but when I leave the choice up to God, the devil cannot overpower the choices that God makes.
Ephesians 6:16 is a reminder to not forget my shield. I can pray with great confidence in my God who can do anything, but telling Him how to do it is not faith; it is being His advisor — a role reversal that essential says, ‘Trust me, God. I know how to fix this problem.’
An added thought: MacArthur describes two types of shields used by Roman soldiers. One was small and used during hand-to-hand combat. The other was metal and large. It deflected arrows and was surfaced with oily leather that extinguished arrows that were swabbed in pitch and set on fire. Front-line soldiers knelt behind these shields to protect themselves and provide a defense for the troops behind them. They moved forward like a wall until they could engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. This suggests that my prayers begin to be effective as I protect myself from the lies that the enemy throws at me. One of his most effective is the lie that I always know what God should do. Faith says, “no matter what . . . .” and trusts His choice.
PRAY: Jesus, in reality, I know nothing about spiritual things unless Your Spirit reveals it to me. To tell You what I would like You to do may be an okay prayer, yet those requests often come out as the only thing that is acceptable to me. This is faith in me and my ideas, not faith in You. Besides all that, praying that way means I will miss Your wonderful surprises!
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
PONDER: What does Philippians 1:29–30 say about the will of God? Would I ask for that? How about the promises of Romans 8:31-39? Does this describe my faith?
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