We talk of faith in our English language, but much like the word love we have given it so many levels that we lose the real meaning.
We say we love our children, and we love our house, but no one who truly loves their children would give both equal value. You, like myself, would give up our house in a split second for the well-being of our children. Thus, we have used the word love to describe different levels of emotional caring for someone or something.
Well, we have done the same with faith. If I am going to say I have faith in God and then say I have faith, my vehicle will get me across the country without any problems, they are two totally different things. My faith in Christ is a commitment to the truth of who He is. While my faith in my vehicle is a thought that it will make it.
For example, I am willing to risk my life on the fact that God is God!
However, if you ask me since I have faith in my vehicle that It could go across the country without any problems, would I bet my life on it? Then the answer is no. Those are two different faiths.
Listen to what scripture says, James 1:6-8 NASB95 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The faith God expects from us when we pray is a commitment to the truth that God is God and has omnipotent power. He says "WITHOUT ANY DOUBTING."
If you are not saying that your faith is a KNOWLEDGE of the FACT of who God is, then you are saying you have doubt. God says through James, "the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."
He goes one way, then the other. He goes up and then he goes down. He is not stable in his faith at all.
If I have faith in God, then when things are not going my way, I will still know the truth of Him. I will not doubt His power. Where if my trip has a detour and I have to go onto a rough dirt road I might start to doubt my vehicle.
We need to understand that when God talks of faith He is speaking of a real, committed to truth, faith. He goes on to say "For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
The text is saying how can you expect God to answer when you don't know the truth of who He is.
Let me share with you a definition of faith from the Greek word pístis, has the sense of a. “confidence,” “certainty,” “trust,” then “trustworthiness,” and “guarantee” or “assurance” in the sense of a pledge or oath with the two nuances of “trustworthiness” and “proof.” TDNT
Real faith is confident, certain, trustworthy, guaranteed, assured, a pledge or oath proved.
Is this the faith you have in Jesus?
It needs to be; otherwise, how is it you are unhappy with Him when He doesn't answer your prayer?
Love Bro. Scott