Realities
“Faith…makes us certain of realities we do not
see (Heb 11:1 NEB).
What realities can we be sure of? There is a popular notion about prayer which assumes that the thing asked for ought to be the object of faith–“Lord, give me this or that,” wherefore “this” and “that” become the realities. No. The Bible states the absolutes that we can be certain of: the character of God, his love, his will that we be conformed to his Son’s likeness, his sovereign control of all the universe. When faith latches on to those realities which we do not see with our eyes, it can never be confounded. If it makes the thing asked for its object, faith itself will dissolve if the Lord’s answer is no, or not yet, or wait. “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion” (Ps 71:1 AV). From A Lamp for My Feet

When answers to prayer take longer than expected, it is not due to a lack of faith or fervency. My faith must not rest on the strength of my own faith, on the amount of desire I have for something, or anything at all within myself. My faith must rest on God’s faithfulness, His strength, His goodness, and His will.