Faith or Presumption?

I'm going to be honest here. I struggle trusting in God to do something big. Not in the way you are probably thinking though. You are probably thinking that it is referring to a lack of faith. Well, maybe it is, but maybe it isn't.

It usually deals with praying for someone who is in some kind of crisis that requires a major intervention on God's part. It could be me or a friend or a relative. Sure there is the struggle of doubt that God will answer. But then I may feel strengthened in faith after reading the Bible about some great deliverance or miracle or some promise of God to answer prayer. Or my faith increases after hearing a testimony of a miracle of God in someone's life.

Here is the dilemma. I want to rest in the confidence that God is going to deliver the person in need for whom I am praying. I see the many, many Scriptures promising God to deliver those who cry out to Him. Too many to ignore. And all the more in Jesus Name! I desire to believe that God WILL do it. But then I struggle with the question of presumption. Is it OK to believe that God will definitely deliver? That He will heal every time I pray? Is that presuming upon God as if I am telling him what to do? Can I be OVER-confident in god? Or am I usurping his sovereignty assuming he will answer?

There are different schools of thought in the Christian community. If you are part of the Word of Faith movement (which I once was), for instance, then you are taught to believe that God will always answer in response to our faith. Some other traditions within the Church believe that miracles have passed away for the most part. Some traditions are of the mind that you pray and then it's anyone's guess whether God will answer. The assumption is usually do not expect too much.

So what should I expect when I pray earnestly for someone? That is the big question. I know that there are unanswered prayers as well as answered ones. God has not healed every person I've prayed for. But I've seen a whole lot of answers to my prayers as well. And sometimes, the prayer is answered in a different way that ends up working out good. But what should my expectation be? Should I think about the times my prayers were not answered? Or someone else's prayers weren't answered? Or should I think about the answered prayers and the promises of Scripture?

Here is where I'm at right now: I believe that our Lord is glorified when I trust in Him to bring good out of evil in my life or someone elses. I believe He is delighted when I believe that He is good and powerful and I am waiting and depending upon Him. I believe He rewards those who are seeking His deliverance in faith. If this is so, then I feel that I must expect great and marvelous things when I pray. Even if, in His sovereignty, he may not answer or may answer differently, I am convinced that He is pleased with the prayer of faith and somehow good will come out of it, even if, in the extreme case, it is not in this life. However, I believe for the most part, if we pray with expecting faith, that majority of the time I will glorify him for His marvelous mercy in delivering the afflicted.

Sometimes there are hard lessons that are learned in God not answering. Sometimes it may be inexplicable why He doesn't answer, especially if it is the loss of someone dear. It may bring doubt and heartbreak and even feelings of anger that need to be healed by His powerful love. But I have to keep believing in His goodness and willingness to answer prayer. For I believe that God's deliverance of the afflicted in answer to prayer is the norm not the exception.