In today’s devotional for the 50 Days of Prayer and Fasting the topic is faith. More specifically asking the question of whether we believe God is able and willing to do - what we pray for. This is certainly a very important question to ask at the beginning of the 50 Days of Prayer and Fasting because if we don’t believe, if I don’t believe, then what’s the use in praying in the first place?

As I spent some time talking with God and reflecting on this this morning another question came to mind that I sometimes struggle with and that is, “Is it right to expect God to answer our prayers?” This is an important question I think because whenever we talk about praying in faith or believing in what we pray there is this inherent assumption that we should expect God to respond. I guess in some ways this troubles me a bit because then I start thinking of who God is and who I am and a mental image comes to mind of an ant encountering a man on a path and expecting the man to move to the side.

Yet, as I read scripture it appears that God wants us to expect answers to our prayers. Of course, scripture is also clear that there are conditions to that: there must be no unconfessed sin in our lives, we must pray according to His will, and we must pray in faith. (For more on this, see the series “When God doesn’t Answer Prayer“). When the conditions are right, we can then expect God’s answer.

However, that is only looking at one side of prayer. That is only looking at petitionary prayer - the “asking for something”. That is a but a small part of what the entire prayer life should be. We shouldn’t just come to God to ask for things but we should more often come to God just to talk with Him, to commune with Him, and more importantly to listen. In this arena, what we can expect takes on a whole new dimension…

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. — James 4:8 (NIV)