KEY TO LIVING GOD'S WILL

      What is an adequate basis for the prayer of faith? We can say what it is not. It is not the evidence of outward circumstances. Elijah prayed for rain when there was no rain in sight. Six times came the report that the sky was cloudless (I Kings 18). Regardless, Elijah insisted that rain was on the way. It was-in torrents. Yet, there was no external confirmation for that belief when the prayer of faith went up. This is belief and trust in God, in spite of appearances. I can't tell you how important that statement is, to believe and trust in God in spite of appearances. It looks like this person you are praying for is unconvertible. It looks like that cancer is irreversible. It looks like that child of yours is going to be an alcoholic, and nothing is going to change it. All the evidence goes against what you want. To believe in God despite appearances is what triggers the miracle. Not to rely on your faith, but to rely on God. There are a number of people who believe when probability is in their favor, but faith acts when the probabilities are minimal. That is why faith is so uplifting; it carries optimism within itself.

      Secondly, faith does not require or demand a sign to shore it up. When Jesus was on the cross, those berating Him challenged Him to come down from the cross and save himself if He was indeed the Christ. They wanted a sign. If He had come down, they would have believed. He would have had converts right there on the spot. It would have been an overwhelming miracle. There was nothing more faithless than that very challenge itself.

      Remember the two thieves crucified with Jesus? The one said, "Save yourself and save us if you are the Messiah." But the good thief responded, "We don't deserve to be saved. This man does, He is innocent." He did not demand a sign. Gideon's putting out a fleece was to determine the will of God. It was not God's response to Gideon's request that made that miracle happen. It was a sort of concession to feebleness of Gideon's faith rather than a reward for the strength of his faith.

      Jesus constantly deprecated the seeking of a sign, the "prove-it-to-me" attitude. The Jewish leaders demanded a sign of Jesus. Jesus replied the His sign was the temple would be destroyed by them in three days and He would raise it up again, speaking of His body (John 2:18 and 19). The Pharisees desired to test Jesus' claim to be Messiah. They asked Him to give some great demonstration in the skies. He said in effect that they are their own worst sign, an evil and unbelieving generation that would receive no further sign except for a miracle that had already happened, that of John (Matthew 16: 1-4). On another occasion (Matthew 12:39) Jesus said that only an evil, faithless generation would ask for further proof.