A big component of prayer is the mindset of the individual praying. Prayer often times is about waiting, and in these modern days of instant gratification, it seems waiting can be a torturous endeavor. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
One issue is that often, we don’t know what to believe, or indeed what we really want. In today’s world, we are bombarded with all kinds of “noise,” such as the news, social media, advertisements, talk shows, drama in our personal lives, and so on. It’s tough to break through the noise into a quiet place where we can really reflect on things. When things don’t go well for us, we often turn to prayer when we are at our wits end.
But we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of praying to remedy even the smallest inconveniences. As they say, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Life will always be full of the small stuff. It’s best to let that go and concentrate on bigger issues. Faith and prayer certainly helps.
We pray for something and then while a part of us wants our prayers answered, another part of us makes all sorts of excuses about why it can’t or shouldn’t happen. Sometimes we get too comfortable in being ‘uncomfortable,’ as if we need that conflict to keep us occupied, as strange as that may sound. What we really should be asking ourselves is, do we REALLY want the prayer to be answered?
If, after solid reflection, you do want your prayers answered, the simple act of believing goes a long way. Go about your life with a firm belief that things will turn out as they should. The idea is to pray and live as though your prayers have already been answered. Because they have.
Many of us already know the outcome of the situation we are praying about; we are only asking for strength and patience to see the outcome through. That is the essence of praying as though our prayers are already answered. Deep down, if we listen to our intuition, we already have an idea of how things may turn out. But we still need guidance through the divine to see it through.
There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, through God’s love, the simple act of praying gives us the strength and perseverance we need.
After all, in the Bible, Mark 9:23 says, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
And to stir even more inspiration into your daily cup, recall Isaiah 65:24, which says, “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” As you drink the contents of your cup, start to get excited about what is on its way to you. Your prayers are already being answered. Believe it and receive it.
In the end, believing that your prayers are heard is such a comfort in itself.
