See also "C - Confidence"
Faith is not my centering my will around what I am able to do, or devising a prayer that sounds more confident than I really am, or mustering up a sense of sureness by trying to convince myself that I am more confident than I am, nor is it an exercise of running away from doubts by avoiding the quietness of true intimacy and prayer.
This is on my mind because my church men's small group has been praying for a big miracle of healing for the wife of one of our brothers. In one sense, it is practical to instruct ourselves to avoid negative statements or doubts about what we've prayed about. I do also believe that it is healthy to have the real moments before God that Abraham(Gen 15:8) and Moses(Ex 4:1) and Gideon(Judges 6:36-39) did when, right before they accepted by faith what God had promised them, they admitted to God that they had some reservations or doubts or need for a sign (or two or three). (Not to say that I should provoke His anger by perpetually requiring more signs if it's really just laziness or cowardice. (Gen 4:13-14)
Some of us need only to be reminded of what God had done for them in the past. Needing to be reminded of the past is still glorifying God once you remember. I'd rather do that than to glorify my flesh or my mental concentration skills or credit anything that I did or willed as being the source of the power.
I trust in Christ that the things that he prepared beforehand for our sister to accomplish for his glory will come to pass through her and that her healthy body will bring glory to Him.
Ephesians 2 (New Living Translation)
Ephesians 2
Made Alive with Christ
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
