I believe "hope" is the glue that adds faith to our lives. In order to get our prayers answered, I really think that feeling that feeling of already receiving the answer plays a huge part in getting our prayers answered.God seems to sprinkle rays of hope along our paths. How many times did you have something come in your day that never did pan out, but it was exciting for a time? Many times when we are seeking God for answers, He will seemingly tease us with what we "think" is going to be an open door, but that situation or thing never comes through.
These gifts of hope is the fuel that, I believe, gets us from point "A" to point "B". He is just encouraging us as we travel though our lives with rays of hope. How discouraging life would be if He never shined the light of hope in our path that is leading us in the right direction.
True faith requires feeling the feeling of the prayer already answered. It is the power that reigns the answer in many times. Mature faith has the ability to just "wait" when we know that His word declares we CAN receive the answer.
I know we have all experienced in our prayer life the ability to visualize the prayer we are praying as answered. This can spark so much faith, that we can leave that season of prayer knowing that the answer is on it's way.
I have had several people talk to me lately about "why does God not heal when we know He paid a huge price for our healing?". As many of my readers know, we of all people could ask this question. Gary suffers with MS and even I with some heart difficulties.
Here is my answer... I just think we must trust God no matter what. We have to believe that He is working all things for our good. Somehow, God is doing some great thing through us or for us. Just because He has not seemingly answered our prayer, does not mean He is not going to.
When our children ask for something and we know we are going to give it to them, maybe for Christmas or a birthday, we do not fret that they are going without, because we know it will be done.
The end is not here yet. So, we just keeping believing. And, if the answer is no, we still must trust Him.
