I was listening to a YouTube video of Dallas Willard last week. His topic was prayer, and the prayer of faith was emphasized. What struck me was this--when it comes to prayer, and praying in faith, three things are to be kept in mind.

First, God is here. He's not far off (although he is)--he is present. Dallas translates the phrase "the kingdom of heaven" as "the kingdom of the heavens" which is accurate. His point in doing so is to clear our minds about where God is. If God is only in heaven (his abode, so to speak), then he is remote. However, if he is "in the heavens" (sky, atmosphere, and his abode), then he is ever-present and ever at hand. So when we think our prayers don't make it past the ceiling, it doesn't matter because--God is here!

Second, God is able. Apart from the philosophical question (i.e., can God create something he cannot pick up), what is it that God cannot do in answer to prayer. If he holds all things together by the word of his power, if all is under his control, if evil is only given permission to occur, if he can raise the dead, then what can God do in answer to our boldest prayer?

Third, God is good. We don't often know what to ask for--our desires are all so often selfish and self centered, and we don't really want God's will to be done. If all prayer were "granted", what a messed up, much more violent world we would inhabit. If God desires to give good things to those who ask (including delivering us from evil and pain) and is able to do so in answer to our asking--and he says no.... We rely on God's gracious presence (knowing he is near), that he could answer (he is able), but his knowledge (the only one able to fully know and handle good and evil--forbidden us) of upcoming danger keeps him from giving us our answer.

These three simple things can help us as we wrestle in prayer!