Ask in Faith

But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since his is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
– James 1:6-8

James is writing to his brothers and sisters who are currently being tested or persecuted. In the next few centuries following the death of Christ, it was common for Christians to be persecuted or even martyred. It wasn’t until the emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the early 300’s did the killings all but cease. To be a Christian and preach the Gospel, in those early time took much faith. Christians would be tortured until they denounce that Jesus is the Messiah.

There was a great debate in the early Church about how to handle the “lapsi”, those how renounced their faith under duress or torture. The argument was whether or not to admit them back in the Church, to offer them the holy eucharist after a period of penance; or cut them off entirely, essentially ostracizing the lapsi. The Church agreed to allow the lapsi to return after a period of penance.

We can count our blessing that we are free to exercise our faith without fear of being persecuted. While there are areas around the world where Christians are still killed for their faith, the vast majority of the Christians are able to worship freely.

Imagine for a minute the amount of faith it would take to die for someone you never actually met. For someone who you only heard stories about. Someone who the Roman Empire, among others, despised. To know that if you chose to believe what that person did, you will most likely have to live in hiding. That’s what the early Christians had to live through. Thankfully they had enough faith so that future generations would hear the stories and read the tales.

James is saying that the Lord knows all our inner-most secrets and doubts.God is unlikely to listen to the half-hearted cries from a person who lacks faith. We are all freely given grace, but that’s not the case for our faith. Paul writes in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the word of God. Without hearing or reading the stories, we know not what or Who to put our faith in. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells us to study in order to find ourselves approved to God. As a true believer, faith should be ever-growing.

Jesus warns us in the Gospels that man cannot serve two masters. We can either serve mammon or God. Serving God, we have faith that we are in His capable hands. That doesn’t mean that we can pray for anything and it’ll be granted like a genie. God knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t. We may think we know what’s best, but all too often it’s not. A reason why we don’t receive what we ask for in prayer is because we ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (James 4:3).

Going to God in prayer should be a time when we can be who we truly are. If faith is lacking, ready and study the Word of God. Straddling the fence is of no benefit. Jesus loves us all and would want nothing more than to have all His children go to Him whole-heartedly. Remember once we give our troubles to Jesus, they are His to carry. Leave them in His hands, and worry not. Have faith that it’ll work out in accordance to God’s divine plan.