CREATIVE PRAYING: WHATEVER…ANYTHING

God…calls into existence the things that do not exist – Rom. 4:17

“It would appear that God acted on the principle of faith in the creation of the world. When He said to non-existent light, “let there be light”, there was light. It is this same kind of creative faith we are called upon to exercise, the very faith of God. “Now faith means…being certain of things we cannot see” (Heb.11:1, Phillips), and this conception opens to us a limitless realm of possibility.

The noted scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel writes: “Prayer is a force as real as terrestrial gravity…it is the only power in the world that seems to overcome the so-called laws of nature”. In prayer, God places in our hands a kind of omnipotence, enabling us to overcome even immutable natural law. Hear the affirmation of the Master, “Therefore, I say to you, whatever you ask for in your prayers, believe it granted and it will be granted” (Mark 11:24, Rieu). And if that is not sufficient to kindle expectation and stimulate faith, consider this: “If two of you shall agree…as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them…” (Matt. 18:19).

Strangely enough, so beset by unbelief is the human heart, that these staggering and all-inclusive promises – “whatever”, “anything” – instead of stimulating our faith tend to paralyse it. The mind busily sets to work to conjure up reasons why these universal words cannot mean exactly what they say. But they do mean exactly what they say.

Unbelief has always shackled omnipotence. Faith releases might. And faith is not credulity, it is confidence. It rests its might on the divine warrant of the infallible Word. It joyously believes that to the God who “calls into existence the things that do not exist”, nothing is impossible.”