In Mark 11:24, we read: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (ESV). This certainly is not a green light to expect you will receive every single thing you request in your prayers. When God answers our prayers, we receive a “yes” or a “no” response. Sometimes the response is for us to wait because the time isn’t right or we receive a response of something better. Remember, we do not think like God so what we think is best is not necessarily best for us (Isaiah 55:8). His response of “no” could be followed by the gift of something better.
Nonetheless, in Matthew 9:29 we read: “Then Jesus put His hands over their eyes and said, “You will have what your faith expects!” (TPT). We receive what we expect. This isn’t saying we get what we ask for necessarily, but that we get what we expect. We might not get something we think we deserve or we expect to receive. Even so, I couldn’t help but continue to focus on these words — your faith expects.
The question that I considered over and over again is simple — what does your faith expect? This is a very simple question but the answer might not be easy to explain or admit. The truth is too often we forget that we serve the God of the impossible. We ask for small things from our big God, things we think are more attainable. We even pray for things that we do not necessarily think He can fulfill. We practice lip service. We say what we think we are supposed to say instead of declaring the power and goodness of our Father over our lives. We miss out on the true power of prayer by going through the motions.
This definitely is not a tongue lashing for not having the strong faith that moves mountains. Rather, this is for each of us, myself included, to consider for a moment if we really expect God to move, if we recognize He is alive and active, and if we are taking the steps forward in faith with expectation. Perhaps we are settling ourselves back into what is comfortable or maybe we are trying to work out our own plan because we feel like God has taken a step back.
Let us look again at today’s passage in Matthew. Jesus covered the eyes of these two blind men. He said that they would have what their faith expected. The blind men believed the Son of David could heal them. They believed. They expected. He responded with healing both of the blind men. They could see.
What does your faith expect today? Are your prayer requests for today both raw and expectant? Are you ready for God to move? Today, take some time to connect with your heavenly Father. Pour out your heart as you engage with Him. Take time to not only pour out, but to also take in today. What is God saying to you today? What does He want you to see today?
Tania Gutekunst 