Willing and Ready to Hear

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting.”   —James 1:5-6a

Hudson Taylor gives a powerful example of God answering prayers of faith. On his first voyage to China, their vessel ran into several weeks of calm, not even a breeze. The ocean currents were slowly drifting them onto the coast of New Guinea where cannibal savages were lighting cooking fires on shore. The captain said, “We have done everything we can.” Hudson replied, “Well, there is one thing we haven’t done yet, let the Christians on board pray about it.”

Hudson went to his cabin to pray, but felt so confident in prayer that he decided to go up on deck to ask the chief mate, who was not a believer, to let down the mainsail. Hudson believed if they were praying in faith for wind, they should make preparations for the answer. The chief mate refused, but then a small puff of wind caused one of the sails to quiver. With Hudson’s urging, the mate begrudgingly let the sail down just in time to catch a good breeze enabling the ship to miss the coral reef and spare their lives. The full story can be found in “The Exchanged Life” chapter of Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor.

Praying in faith is much more than letting down the sail when praying for wind or carrying an umbrella if one prays for rain. Praying in faith is going to God with the expectation that He will answer our prayers. Additionally praying in faith means being willing and ready to hear and obey what God says. James 1:5 says that if we lack wisdom we should ask for it from God who gives generously. But verse six goes on to say, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting.” Doubting God in this passage would mean asking for wisdom and then not heeding the answer given by God. If we ask God to show us the way, we must be willing and ready to move in the direction God points us.

I have heard many people ask, “Why should I pray? God already knows what I need.” I believe the old saying, “Prayer changes things.” I also believe sometimes the thing that changes is me. Prayer is not just to get things from God but communing with the Lord and being conformed into the image of Jesus. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Notice that Hebrews 11:6, says that God rewards those who seek Him. It does not say God rewards those who seek things from Him.

Are there areas in your life that you been praying earnestly about to God? Are you praying in faith? By faith, I mean are you willing to hear from God? Are you willing to allow God to change you as well as the situation? Being willing to hear means I desire for God’s will to be done on earth, in my life, as it is in heaven.

Secondly, if you are praying in faith, are you ready to hear from God? If God were to answer your prayer, what would that look like in your life? Why not begin living that kind of life, now? For Hudson Taylor, if God answered his prayer for wind, they would have the main sail let down; therefore, Hudson instructed the chief mate to open up the sail. In many of your lives, God may be waiting for you to prepare for the answer to your prayers which is already on the way. Are you willing and ready to hear from God?