Dear Amy,

How debilitating is doubt?

Doubt is insidious. It creeps in unnoticed, whispers lies into our hearts, and enfeebles our praying. Jesus spelt this out with absolute clarity.

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

― Mark 11:23-24

We have considered this promise before and understood the caveats of praying in Jesus’ name only what pleases him. But we can do this! We are sons and daughters of the living God, adopted into his family and living as slaves to righteousness. We can pray such prayers!

Why then would we not pray them confidently and with expectation?

When Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer, he followed up with an illustration of going to disturb a friend at midnight to ask for bread.

I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

― Luke 11:8

The word translated in the ESV as impudence appears in some translations as persistence, and perhaps that is more familiar. But the Greek word is anaideia, and impudence or even shamelessness is the more accurate translation⸺indeed the NIV 2011 has “shameless audacity⁠”. The asking is so relationally confident and assured that there is a rightness about the expectation.

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

― Luke 11:9-13

Praying tentatively not quite believing but doubting and lacking such relational confidence has a subtext. Let us for a moment unpack what such doubt says: “I do not really believe that you can do this”; “I do not believe you are such a good Father”; “I do not believe you care sufficiently about me or the one I pray for to answer my prayer”; “I do not believe you’re even listening”. Repudiate such doubt! It has no place among the beloved⸺for that is who we are, and that should remain foremost in our minds as we pray, quite how much we are loved.

Jesus demonstrated infinite love when he chose to die on the cross to rescue all of humankind. The mathematician in me cannot help but notice that an eight-billionth slice of infinite love is infinite love.

Pray confidently, Amy, believing not doubting, and bless your Heavenly Father with the impudence of your intercession! 🙏