Believing is receiving
"I'll believe it when i see it!" That was the response from a woman who was told that she had won a cash prize, no strings attached.
This woman's response clearly showed that she didnt put her faith in the empty promises of a telemarketer.
There are many things we shouldn't put our faith in--promises of easy money with no effort, tropical vacations with no money down and sight unseen, and buy-now/pay-later marketing schemes.
But there are some things in life we can count on.
For example, we don't question whether the sun will rise every day.
When we exhale, we don't wonder if there'll be enough oxygen left for the next time we inhale.
We can even trust the weather.
In Michigan, we can expect that it's going to get cool, then get cold,very,very cold, warm up a little for spring, and then get blistering hot in the summer.
We know that this cycle will last as long as the earth rotates.
We can count on life being ever-changing.
But prayer can bring stability to it.
Inner peace comes in knowing that whatever we're praying about can be left in God's hands.
It's important to Him.
He won't forget about it, nor will He ignore us.
Faith assures us that God cares about us and that He's working for our good.
Faith doesn't demand that God must come through for me exactly the way I want Him to, or even in my own time frame.
Faith doesn't wring its hands with worry, wondering if anything will come of my request.
It's normal to doubt from time to time.
But when waves of doubt threaten to capsize the ship of faith, remember Christ's words to believe and then receive.

-Allison Stevens, ODJ

Mark 11:21-24
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours(v.24)