Streams in the Desert January 4 Daily Devotional

Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man
believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way (John 4:50).
When ye pray, believe (Mark 11:24).
When there is a matter that requires definite prayer, pray till you believe God, until with unfeigned lips you can thank Him for the answer. If the answer still tarries outwardly, do not pray for it
in such a way that it is evident that you are not definitely
believing for it. Such a prayer in place of being a help will be a
hindrance; and when you are finished praying, you will find that
your faith has weakened or has entirely gone. The urgency that you felt to offer this kind of prayer is clearly from self and Satan.
It may not be wrong to mention the matter in question to the Lord
again, if He is keeping you waiting, but be sure you do so in such
a way that it implies faith. Do not pray yourself out of faith. You
may tell Him that you are waiting and that you are still believing
Him and therefore praise Him for the answer. There is nothing that so fully clinches faith as to be so sure of the answer that you can
thank God for it Prayers that pray us out of faith deny both God's
promise in His Word and also His whisper "Yes," that He gave us in our hearts. Such prayers are but the expression of the unrest of

one's heart and unrest implies unbelief in reference to the answer to prayer. "For we which have believed do enter into rest" (Heb.
4:3). This prayer that prays ourselves out of faith frequently
arises from centering our thoughts on the difficulty rather than on
God's promise. Abraham "considered not his own body," "he not at
the promise of God" (Rom. 4:19, 20). May we watch and pray that we
enter not into temptation of praying ourselves out of faith.--C.H.P.
Faith is not a sense, nor sight nor reason, but a taking God at His Word. Evans.
The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Mueller.
You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives
us the promises in a quiet hour; God seals our covenants with great
and gracious words, then He steps back and waits to see how much we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to
contradict all that He has spoken. h is then that faith wins its
crown. That is the time to look up through the storm, and among the trembling, frightened seamen cry, "I believe God that it shall be
even as it was told me."
Believe and trust; through stars and suns,
Through life and death, through soul and sense, His wise, paternal purpose runs;
The darkness of His Providence Is starlit with Divine intents.