Faith, Hope, Wisdom

Doubt

Doubt. The one thing that is so common among many Christians. It prevents prayers from being answered and shows our lack of trust in the Lord.

Matthew 14:29b-31 (NLT)
29b So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"

Peter walked on the sea, but then he doubted, and as soon as he did, he started to sink. And what was Jesus' reply? "Why did you doubt me?"

This shows the power of doubt in our lives. We are looking up to God for something, praying for a miracle, and then as God is about making it come to pass, doubt comes into the picture and we fail to receive what we were praying for.

You might be in the same situation as Peter, the sea representing troubles. Then, like Peter, you start praying and trusting God for help, and start to walk on water toward Jesus. However, along the line, strong winds start blowing your way, worries, fears, what if's, problems, and instead of focusing on Jesus, the problem solver, you get carried away by the strong wind, you start focusing on your problems, and like Peter, you start to sink deeper into your troubles.
So instead of doubting God's ability when troubles come and it seems like all hope is lost, don't stop believing, hold fast to that faith, and don't be afraid, because if you doubt, your problems won't go away.

Let's look at what the bible says about those who doubt.

James 1:6-8 (ESV)
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

A wave driven and tossed by the wind is unstable, has no specific direction, and goes up and down. That's how you are when you doubt. A minute you're high in hope that God will do what you're asking for, the next minute you begin doubting, thinking about how big the problem is.
The bible refers to those who doubt as double-minded because they waver between having faith in God and unbelief. You shouldn't bother asking God for something if you are filled with unbelief and don't think He will do it, but if you believe He is capable of solving your problems, then ask Him and maintain that faith, keep it firm and stable, not wavering, and most importantly don't doubt because when you doubt you shouldn't expect to receive anything from God. So stop doubting and remember that no matter how big your problem is, God is bigger.

Mark 11:24- For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Now when you pray and ask for things, why don't you receive? Because you doubt. You don't believe, you are not confident that God will do it, and when you are not confident that He will do it, it won't happen.
You need to believe before you receive. Most people wait to receive before they believe, but it shouldn't be so. No matter how impossible what you are asking may seem, believe you've received it, and you will receive it. You've been on the sick bed for months,—ask God to heal you, believe he has healed you, be confident even though your body says otherwise and you feel pain all over, believe you've been healed, and you will receive it. God never lies, He simply cannot lie, and His word is always true, so have confidence in His word.

Although sometimes when you ask for things and you don't receive, it may not be as a result of doubt but because you didn't ask according to the will of God.
James 4:3 (AMP)
[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
When you pray, make sure you don't pray amiss, and what you ask for isn't according to your selfish desires but according to the will of God.