Jesus didn't say, "When you pray, just believe that God will do whatever He wants".
He told us what to believe:
"...believe that ye receive them..."
'Them' being "what things soever ye desire, when ye pray".
He said:
"...and shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass..."
Not just a general belief that God does what He wants, but believe that 'those things' which 'he saith' shall 'come to pass'.
"...and ye shall have them..."
Have what? Have 'them' - precisely what you desired.
"...he shall have whatsoever he saith..."
Have what? 'Whatsoever he saith'.
Jesus said that!
Relinquishing ourself to the unknown will of God, entrusting our souls to His well-keeping, is one form of prayer, certainly. But Jesus was talking about another level altogether here.
Both are valid. Both are important. Both are possible. Don't interpret the meaning of Scripture by our own experience, or lack of experience.
Take God at His Word. Faith is acting on the Word.
And when we don't know, or feel weak in faith, we can just pour out our heart to the Lord, being honest about all our desires and weaknesses - and I think every time I've done that, I've either received exactly what I was desiring anyway; or I instantly knew in my spirit it wasn't exactly what I should ask for.
We can also pray with our spirit; or the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered.
Jesus therefore made it easy, not hard.
He told us what to believe:
"...believe that ye receive them..."
'Them' being "what things soever ye desire, when ye pray".
He said:
"...and shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass..."
Not just a general belief that God does what He wants, but believe that 'those things' which 'he saith' shall 'come to pass'.
"...and ye shall have them..."
Have what? Have 'them' - precisely what you desired.
"...he shall have whatsoever he saith..."
Have what? 'Whatsoever he saith'.
Jesus said that!
Relinquishing ourself to the unknown will of God, entrusting our souls to His well-keeping, is one form of prayer, certainly. But Jesus was talking about another level altogether here.
Both are valid. Both are important. Both are possible. Don't interpret the meaning of Scripture by our own experience, or lack of experience.
Take God at His Word. Faith is acting on the Word.
And when we don't know, or feel weak in faith, we can just pour out our heart to the Lord, being honest about all our desires and weaknesses - and I think every time I've done that, I've either received exactly what I was desiring anyway; or I instantly knew in my spirit it wasn't exactly what I should ask for.
We can also pray with our spirit; or the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered.
Jesus therefore made it easy, not hard.
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