here is the text of james 1:5-7: "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. but when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. that man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord..."
first question: concerning doubt, is it doubt that God CAN, or doubt that God WILL?
second question: is it a requirement to have the perfect absence of doubt in order for a prayer to be answered?
third question: does this prescription apply only for petitions for wisdom and not for a good parking space?
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2 comments:
Sheeze. You think I got answers?
Here's my best guesses.
1. Since James says, "it will be given to him," I suspect that he means we must believe that he WILL.
2. I've prayed many times thinking that I have no doubt, but the repeated non-response (from God) has only made me doubt the more. How do you know if you "have the perfect absence of doubt"? It seems like a cruel mind-game.
3. I tend to think that James 1:5-7 is speaking of wisdom only. I also tend to think that this is the kind of prayer that generates results MUCH more frequently than prayer for physical things like healing and parking spaces.
I actually think that God has granted me nearly every request for wisdom. How about you?
a cruel mind game, yes. that is what the world of prayer is to me. don't think i can go along with 'believing he will' answer my prayers; feels manipulative to me. as for wisdom, i cannot say with any certainty that God has given me wisdom when i asked for it. my past is littered with mistakes that could have been prevented had God given me that 'wisdom booster shot'. God can indeed DO anything he desires, beyond all doubt. but, i cannot say what God WILL DO.
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