There is nothing that God loves more than faith. This is what he wants from us. When Jesus told us that we should come to God like little children (Matthew 18:3) he was speaking about coming to God in faith. When Jesus spoke about his return and what he wants to find above all in our lives, he said: “When the son of man returns will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). Prayer is essentially an expression of faith. God doesn’t want information; he knows what we need. What God wants to see is our faith, the trust of a child. This is precisely what the psalms demonstrate so vividly. The Psalmists approach God with a sense of confidence based on the fact that God has bound himself to his people by a covenant in Jesus Christ. What we see is the psalmists making strong appeals based on God’s promises. But these promises are not taken as aimless. The faith that appeals to God’s promises, at the same time, yields to God’s purpose. This is what prevents faith from becoming presumption. God does not follow us with his promises, rather, he leads us with his promises. The promises of God apply for the sake of the purpose of God. If we step out of God’s purpose, we step out of his promise. God will still, nonetheless, be committed to us. But his commitment will always be with an aim to restore us to his purpose. Jesus said: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
Ask God to draw you more and more into his purpose for your life.
Read Psalm 12.
