“Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God.” Andrew Murray

Someone asked me, “Will you agree with me that I need a new car; and then, pray with me to get it because the Bible says where two agree it will be done (Matt. 18:19)?”

This is not only bad hermeneutics, but it also lacks an understanding of faith.

Do we trust our Savior with our lives? Careful how you answer that question. Ok, when it comes to heaven, yes. But in the here and now, is it still a, yes?

Faith is not about getting from God. It’s about becoming more like the One you say you love – Jesus.

It takes faith to hear from Jesus, which is a choice to either listen to ourselves or to Him. It also takes faith to follow Jesus, which is a choice to do or to ignore what He says.

Twice Paul wanted to go to Asia to share about Jesus. Isn’t that a good thing? Yup. Both times, however, the Spirit said, “Nope!”

Why? Because the Lord can see tomorrow! The Spirit wanted Paul in southern Greece, where a certain man working in the jails was ready to put his faith in Jesus along with his family.

Paul had the faith not only to listen, but the faith to follow as well, which made him more like Jesus. Think about it. Jesus went where He was told, earth, because the Father saw and wanted to save you.

Paul was changed into the image of Jesus, though, by a process that meant the Father saying “no” to one thing, so He could say “yes” to something else.

Do you trust the Father to open the doors needed for you to become more like Jesus and to close other doors also needed for you to become more Jesus?

Faith…is not in the getting, but in the becoming.