James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Confidence is important when we come to God in prayer.
Hebrews 4:16 says we should be coming to the throne room of grace with a boldness because that grace is the source of our boldness. That grace is the power of God enabling salvation and victory thereafter.
But you also need courage.
I’ve been praying for a lot of people lately, in relation to jobs, healing, wisdom… and I’m evidently aware within my spirit that when I pray I need to have not just a confidence in the Lord to answer my prayer, but courage to pray bold prayers.
When you enter into your prayer chamber – wherever you pray – come filled with faith and armed with courage. I’m realising that nowhere else in the entire field of church life and Christianity is courage so necessary, as in prayer.
The absence of courage will prevent you from praying what you really want to pray.
When praying for a person with cancer – you want that cancer to shrivel up and die. But if you do not have confidence and courage, you will not pray the necessary prayer that causes that cancer to die. You will water down your prayer out of fear it might not happen.
James says “but let him ask in faith, with no doubting…”. No doubting means total confidence and total courage.
When you know God loves you, and you believe this – you can then throw yourself down before God and pray with a boldness for whatever “our good” and “His glory” requires. Don’t water down your prayer because of the cost or condition associated with what you are praying for – if it's a multi-million dollar church facility – cost is no object to God; if it's a tumor – that condition is no problem to God.
This type of prayer cannot go unanswered.
Courage requires you to be prepared to look foolish in the eyes of others who are doubtful and cynical. Once Pastor Phil was praying for someone with a broken leg. He called this girl up onto the platform and prayed for her and then told her to start walking. She walked across the platform and went, “ouch”, “ouch”, “ouch” – clearly her healing had not manifested. Unperturbed, Pastor Phil persisted. “Do it again – walk across that stage”. “Ouch”, “ouch”, “ouch”, she said. The crowd was now becoming concerned, even cynical – the atmosphere became awkward, but if foolishness was the pathway to this girl’s healing then foolish Pastor Phil would look.
He persisted a couple more times and then, suddenly – it’s always suddenly, the healing began to manifest. The “Ouch” because “Oh”! “I think it’s getting better”, she said. “Keep walking” Pastor Phil declared. And walk she did until she received her full recovery that night!
What a powerful testimony and lesson on prayer.