You expect to see results quickly when you bring a dozer in to move a pile of dirt. But what if you bring a shovel and wheelbarrow? The results will still come; they just come a little slower.
And so it is with our believing. If we’re not taking a dozer into a situation we are believing for – if we’re just taking a shovel and wheelbarrow – we can still have results . . . it will just take a little longer to see them and to get the job done.
In the story of the centurion servant who was suffering from seizures (the one that the disciples could not heal) Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
We expect the mountain to move all at once, like it did for Jesus. But Jesus had faith the size of a dozer. We on the other hand come with a shovel and wheelbarrow? Our faith is small in comparison to His; but . . . we can still move the mountain if we stay with it. The evidence may be a little slower to come and a little harder to see, but nevertheless there will be evidence if we stay with it.
We need to see evidence when we pray. Evidence says ‘You are on the right track. Just stay with it.’ We are bad to quit when the whole mountain does not move at once. That is what the disciples did. They couldn’t drive the seizures out with one try so they quit. But faith, even if it is small, it can be sure. Faith, because it knows something, refuses to quit until there is evidence; and then once there is evidence, faith continues to press until the mountain is moved.
Prayer is work. And like with any work, we need to see that the effort of our labor is accomplishing something. It is no different with prayer. We need to see that the effort of our praying is accomplishing something. We need to see evidence. Lately I have seen just enough to know that I am on the right track and that if I will just stay with it – wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow – I will see this mountain moved.
Hunger and Thirst 
So true. Our patience is generally short, but our expectations high. And while moving the bits at a time, I seem to get my wheelbarrow stuck in a rut every once in a while. When that happens, I try to brute force it back on track rather than using a more gentle, prayerful approach. When I stop to think about this, I begin to think about how much patience our Great Physician has with His patients…US!
Evidence is all around each of us…if only we will pause to notice it.
Thanks, Mike!
It does take our focussed attention.
Mike, what a great analogy. I, myself, see bits and pieces of answers for some prayers and then for others, maybe nothing. But the bits and pieces keep me going on the ones I see nothing.
Your writing encourages me. Hopefully ‘as we see the day approaching’, mine does the same for you.
Amen. Especially us Americans in our “microwave society” when we want everything here and now, with no delays. In the book of Proverbs it suggest that we “mine” the riches of the scriptures as one would mine for silver. It takes time, but the pay off is more than worth it.
Thank you for teaching us about prayer, belief, and staying with it. :
I received a little booklet on prayer this weekend. Here are a couple of quotes:
“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” Karl Barth
“Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view.” Philip Yancey
Update: No major seizures this last week. 🙂
God bless you as you continue to press in to all He asks you to.
I like both quotes. Not sure which one I like best.
Glad to hear the good report. I have seen a little from our end as well that tells me ground is being gained. I usually get the flu just bad enough to make me feel bad. When my wife gets it, she really gets it. A couple of months ago, I really got it. When Sheila started feeling bad, I prayed against Satan’s ability to inflict the same on her. Her conditioned improved and went away. About a month ago, I got a little poison ivy. With me, I usually get it and it goes away. I get it long enough for her to get it and then she really gets it. It’s usually terrible. She got it as usual. When she did, I prayed against Satan’t ability to stir it up and make it worse. Though he tried several times, each time I stood against him. It is completely gone.
These are little mole hills compared to Aubrey’s mountain . . . but, to me they serve as an indicator that I am on the right track. I expect it to take longer to move her mountain, but wheelbarrow by wheelbarow, I intend to see it removed.