Page 32 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

Before I move away from the will of God, I must deal with one theological tension that seems to prevail
in theological interpretations. Some would say that we should never qualify our prayers with the words,
“If it be your will”. Some will even say that to attach those words, those conditional terms, to our
prayers is an act of unbelief. We are told that in boldness of faith we are to “name it and claim it”. Yes, I
believe that we are to come boldly to the throne of grace, but we are not to come arrogantly. (Hebrews
4:16) For example in the book 31 Reasons People Do Not Receive Their Financial Harvest Mike Murdock
says that “poverty is unnecessary”. He blasts people who say that within the sovereignty of God some
people will experience poverty. He says, “this must change for, you can prosper, you must prosper, and
you will prosper”. He says, “God always rewards holy conduct and behavior with financial provision” and
quotes Psalm 84:11. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Biblically let’s look at the use of the term, if it be thy will. First, I find our Lord Jesus using this term in
Luke 22:42. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” If
using this statement is a prayer of unbelief, then we find that our Lord had a lack of faith. I do not have
time to expound upon this passage except to say that our Lord was about to experience the most trying
aspect of his journey upon the earth. He needed extra assistance at this time and an angle came to
minister to Him in verse 43. In I Corinthians 4:19 Paul said he would travel to see the Corinthians if the
Lord willed it. He wasn’t sure if the Lord would allow this journey to take place but said, “I will come to
you very soon, if the Lord is willing”. James taught people to pray, “you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s
will, we will live and do this or that.” So, my question to those who say we need to declare and decree
things in faith. Why did James say, we ought to say, if it is the Lords will? Be careful about going to both
extremes in our interpretations. I caution you to be aware of those who claim to have great apostolic
callings upon their lives and in the same respect I would caution you regarding those who say that the
miraculous is not the normal way God works today. Therefore, I called this teaching a tension in the
scriptures. Both sides have their proof text that they use to try to prove the positions they take. God is
the same yesterday today and forever and I believe if we are not seeing the manifest presence of God in
our lives and in our churches, we need to cry out as Gideon of old did in Judges 6:14. Gideon replied, “if
the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told
us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us
and handed us over to the Midianites.” A Biblical view of His will is difficult to discern without God
revealing His revealed will.

Let me close this section out by reminding you of this marvelous truth, God has a plan for your life! Did
you hear that? The creator of the universe has stooped down to remind you that He has a plan for your
life. Listen to it in Psalm 113:6, He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. If you were to read
Jeremiah 1:4-7 you would find that God tells Jeremiah that before He formed him in his mother’s womb,
He had a plan for his life. Therefore it is so important for you to daily pray for God to reveal His will to
you. And remember that God always calls the unqualified and qualifies. Jeremiah began to argue with

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