Faith and Honesty in Prayer
Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me. (Job 31:35)
Deut. 6:5 and 30:2-3; I Sam. 7:3; Jer. 29:10-14; Joel 2:12-13; Matt. 22:36-40; Lk. 11:9; John 15:7
What Is God Saying?
Job's name is synonymous with suffering. Satan put Job to the test (with God's consent) to see if his faith was valid. Could it be, argued Satan, that Job would only trust God as long as he and his family were healthy and content? Job nobly bore the suffering that came. Job's friends accused him of being punished for his sinful life. Through this barrage, Job trusted God, and the story has a happy ending (read Job 42:12-16). Job tried to explain his side of the case. It was hard to convince his friends that he was not as bad as they claimed. His friends compounded his sufferings with guilt, but Job's continued trust in God brought amazing dividends.
In Job 42:7, God vindicates the patient, trusting, suffering of Job by saying to one of the friends, "My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has." Job, brought face to face with God (42:6), repented in dust and ashes. Job was not a wicked man, but faithful and honest. He received more at the end of life than he had ever had (Job 42:17), "And Job died, an old man and full of days...and full of blessings.” The friends were wrong. Job bore suffering in faith and trust, and his search for truth was honest.
How Does This Apply To Us?
The friends finished their self-appointed mission of comforting Job. They had applied their verbal poultices of blame and shame to his wounds. Job cries out (Job 31:35), "O Lord, hear me. Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!" It was like a crack in the wall, allowing light to come into the night of Job's anguish, "This is my prayer. I still trust you. I believe the answer is on the way. Only your answer will erase the dilemma. Only your peace will calm my soul. Only your solution will solve the problem." Trust God, and you will see God's deliverance and restoration and say, "The pathway leading to this was right."
Pray With Me
Father in Heaven, almighty and all-loving, it is good to know that I may come to you at any time in prayer. It is good to know that my prayer will be heard and answered. That is why I would place my signature at the end of my prayer. I need help from the Almighty, "Let the Almighty answer me!" Only the almightiness of God can subdue and cleanse this heart. "Deep calls unto deep." The depths of need call to the depths of grace; the depths of failure call to the depths of divine forgiveness. A heart besieged by the restless and ever-returning Tempter demands nothing less than the holy vision and indwelling presence of God. Lord, instead of putting my signature, I sign this prayer in the most blessed and beautiful signature I have ever known: I offer this prayer in the strength and mercy of Jesus' name.
Behold His signature, Father, and for His sake meet my need. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
We begin our prayers with faith and honesty. We conclude our prayers with Amen. As we open our hearts to God, let us remember to come trusting in God's power and to be honest. Then, in saying, Amen, we will be saying, "Lord, this is my signature, my prayer. I mean it. I am confident that the Almighty will answer."
