FAITH IS A NECESSARY INGREDIENT 

Carey Madding 

Today's Scripture: "He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.’” Matthew 17:20 

Theme: Even when things don’t go the way you pray that they will, without faith it is impossible to please Him. 

QUITTING COLD TURKEY 

In Wyoming, with few thriving Christian churches, we joined an American Baptist congregation. (My mother, a staunch Southern Baptist, was horrified! “They don’t believe in the Virgin Birth!”) Maybe that was the denominational stance, but this little church was on fire! They were the Acts, Chapter Two Church on steroids! They believed in healings and the gift of prophesy and more. They had incredible contemporary worship. It is where we joined our first cell group (The Cove’s Life Groups). We prayed for hours around coffee tables, studied our Bibles, heard words of wisdom and words of prophecy for specific people. I mean, like, “The Lord says, ......” type of prophecy! 

At some point, with two toddlers, we began to have so many doctor visits and illness that someone in the group made a gentle comment. I can’t remember what it was, but Mike and I decided we had been using the doctors and their medicines as the driver, and we had left Jesus in the trunk as the spare wheel! We decided if we ever needed to pray for a miracle, we would have trained ourselves to go to God only as a last resort. So, we quit. Quit the doctors and the medicines. Cold turkey. 

When your baby is crying and you suspect an earache, you can have faith that God will come through...but it’s hard. We called friends who understood our journey and they prayed in faith with us over the phone. Or they dropped by the house and knelt by our child’s bed. They supported our faith!  

Some friends did not understand it at all. “If God heals, why does my child have diabetes?” was asked in a very aggressive manner. Well-meaning grandparents questioned us. But this season of trusting God – and only God – lasted long enough to make us reach for Him instead of the aspirin bottle at the first sign of “dis-ease.” 

FAITH IS A MUST 

Does God always heal? Does He always step in and answer every prayer exactly as we want Him to answer it? No. But He always answers. I know from many years of praying that faith is always a necessity. In life and death situations, we have learned to pray expectantly, completely trusting our Father God and our Savior Jesus. He still moves mountains and asks us to partner with Him by faith. Yet even when He doesn’t give us the miracle we are seeking, we must stay trusting that He knows us. That is faith, also. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith reminds us we can know for certain that God is working His best plan, even if it seems sad or meaningless to us. He loves us. He is for us, not against us. He loves the person for whom we are desperately praying, and He is for them also, even if they are far from loving Him. In that financial or relational crisis, He is aware. He has the power and ability to bring about change. We can trust Him completely!   

When you pray, believe that God can do it! He can move the mountain, kill the cancer, cancel the debt, and save the wandering child. Pray and believe it with all that is in you. Don’t beat yourself up when you have doubts. Double down! Get into God’s Word and find His promises for your exact situation. Call your believing friends. Have them pray for you over the phone or come and anoint you with oil! 

IN THIS SEASON 

In my current medical situation, I can tell you that the earlier faith journey has made all the difference. We tend to give doctors god-like attributes: wisdom and the power of life and death. What “they say” can seem more important than what “God says” about a situation. Turning to Him in faith that believes He has our very best in His heart is essential. We discussed – once – that His very best may be my ticket to heaven. That would be hard, but a blip in time before all of us join Him there or Jesus returns for us.  

Every day, we “look at the birds,” as Matthew 6 tells us. Can we add one second to our lives by worrying? No. We keep focused on today...not on what is ahead. We read and repeat the psalms, verses, and promises that He is giving us daily. We listen to songs that build our faith, and we have great, unexplainable joy in this season. We feel the prayers of believers from all over the world. We hear the Spirit in the Scripture and in our dreams. Would you believe we have been on an amazing, life-affirming, and faith-building journey? 

Make It Personal: Where are you now? Ask yourself if you reach for the aspirin before you pray about the headache. Believe me, I am using all the medical help and medicines. But that is not where my hope lies. That is not where I put my faith. Don’t stare at your mountain in fear but name it in your prayers. Believe God and trust Him to work on your behalf, with His perfect knowledge and will for the situation.  

Pray: This is a hard prayer to pray. If you are in a hard season, make it yours as it is mine. 

Father God, You have given everything for me: Your holy Son, Your provision, and Your very presence! Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. Help me to know deep in my heart that You can do all things and pray expectantly that You will do it! Father, You have the ability and if You do not answer as I am praying, I still have faith that You know better. You have my very best interest at heart. I will pray with faith until You tell me to let it rest... and then I will lay it in Your hands. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.  

Read: The verses for my current season are Psalms 121 and 91, and Matthew 6:25-34. 

Listen: To my Spotify playlist that I have called “FAITH.” 

Weekly Memory Verse: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8, ESV