G19. Praying in Faith & Having Faith for That Which We Pray. [Make a Comment]
We are to pray in faith, and have faith for the things for which we pray.
This precept is derived from His Word (blessed be He):
Key Scriptures
Mark 11:23-24
Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that
what he says will happen can say to this mountain, 'Go and throw
yourself into the sea!' and it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell
you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it
will be yours.
James 1:5-8
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously
and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in
trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being
tossed and driven by the wind. Indeed that person should not think that he
will receive anything from the Lord, because he is double-minded, unstable
in all his ways.
James 5:14-16
Is someone among you ill? He should call for the elders of the congregation.
They will pray for him and rub olive oil on him in the name of the Lord. The
prayer offered with trust will heal the one who is ill - the Lord will
restore his health; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, openly acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray for each
other, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is
powerful and effective.
Supportive Scriptures
Matthew 9:27-29
As Yeshua went on from there, two blind men began following him, shouting,
"Son of David! Take pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men
came up, and Yeshua said to them, "Do you believe that I have the power to
do this?" They replied, "Yes, sir." Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it happen to you according to your trust"
Matthew 21:18-22
As Yeshua went on from there, two blind men began following him, shouting,
"Son of David! Take pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men
came up, and Yeshua said to them, "Do you believe that I have the power to
do this?" They replied, "Yes, sir." Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it happen to you according to your trust"
Matthew 21:18-22
The next morning, on his way back to the city, he felt hungry. Spotting a
fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except
leaves. So he said to it, "May you never again bear fruit!" and immediately
the fig tree dried up. The talmidim saw this and were amazed. "How did the
fig tree dry up so quickly?" they asked. Yeshua answered them, "Yes! I tell
you, if you have trust and don't doubt, you will not only do what was
done to this fig tree; but even if you say to this mountain, 'Go and
throw yourself into the sea!' it will be done. In other words, you
will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is,
provided you have trust."
Hebrews 11:1-6
Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we
do not see. It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people
of old. By trusting, we understand that the universe was created through a
spoken word of God, so that what is seen did not come into being out of
existing phenomena. By trusting, Hevel offered a greater sacrifice than
Kayin; because of this, he was attested as righteous, with God giving him
this testimony on the ground of his gifts. Through having trusted, he still
continues to speak, even though he is dead. By trusting, Hanokh was taken
away from this life without seeing death - "He was not to be found, because
God took him away" - for he has been attested as having been, prior to being
taken away, well pleasing to God. And without trusting, it is impossible to
be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he
does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.
Commentary
First, we should understand that "faith" and "trust" as it applies to God are identical, and merely a translator's choice of words. Some interpret Mark 11:23-24 as assuring us that if we strongly believe for anything, God has obligated Himself to make it happen. But that is not at all what the Scripture says or implies. The Scripture says "whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen ..." There is only one way for us to not doubt in our heart for something, and that is for God to have placed it there. Then, having recognized what God's will is, if we trust Him and speak it, it will happen.
God is not calling us to what is often called "positive confession", because in "positive confession" the presumption is that we have the power to control God and cause Him to do what we want him to do. Do we want a new car? The proponents of positive confession would say that all we must do is believe strongly enough for it and we will have it. No! God is calling us to first discern His will, and then trust Him enough to speak it aloud. If we properly hear God's will and speak it in faith, we can be assured that it will come to pass.
Classical Commentators
This Mitzvah is not addressed by any of the classical Jewish commentators.
NCLA: JMm KMm KFm JFm GMm GFm