Pray the Answer, Not the Problem

Pray the Answer, Not the Problem By Mark Brazee "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22). I was born again right in the middle of the Charismatic move. I visited a small full gospel church and was filled with the Holy Ghost. I had a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in those days, but I didn't know a lot about the Bible. I prayed a lot; in fact, I was constantly praying at the church late at night and early in the morning. The pastor finally gave me my own key to the church! But I didn't know how to pray. Over and over, I prayed, "Oh, dear God, You see how bad my problems are." But if anything changed in my situation, it was always for the worse. I had a plaque hanging in my home that said "Prayer Changes Things," but I was saved, filled and defeated. It seemed as if everything was going wrong. After a year and a half of this, I couldn't decide whether to throw that plaque away or just burn it! I finally thought, The answer has to be in the Bible someplace. So I started searching the Scriptures. Matthew 21:22 is the verse that got my attention. Jesus said, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." I found a key in this verse that unlocked a door of understanding how to pray in faith. Suddenly I realized I'd been talking to God about the problem instead of the answer. And I sure didn't want to believe I received my problems—I already had them! Another key to praying in faith is found in Isaiah 43:26: "Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified." God wants you to remind Him of what He's already said about your need. So pray God's answer according to His Word; then believe you receive it by faith. That's the true prayer of faith! Confession: Father, I put You in remembrance of Your Word. I thank You because You said that by Jesus' stripes, I was healed. I know You're faithful to make Your Word true in my life, so I believe I receive my healing! Source: 365 Days of Healing by Mark Brazee To Purchase, Click Here