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Childlike Trust

The text suggests the necessity of childlike trust: “And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” Everywhere in Scripture, faith in God is spoken of as necessary to successful prayer. We must believe that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. The success of our prayer will be in proportion to our faith. It is a standing rule of the kingdom: “According to your faith let it be to you” (Matt. 9:29).

Remember how the Holy Spirit speaks through James. The text speaks of faith in the name of Jesus Christ, which means faith in His declared character, in His gospel, in the truth concerning His substitution and salvation. Or it may mean faith in the authority of Christ, so that when I say, “Do it in the name of Jesus,” I mean, “Do for me as You would have done for Jesus.”

He who prays with faith in the name cannot fail, for Jesus has said, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). But there must be faith, and if there is no faith, we cannot expect to be heard. Do you not see that?

Let us come back to our family similitudes again. Suppose a child does not believe his father’s word and is constantly saying that he doubts his father’s truthfulness. Suppose he is not at all shocked that he should say such a thing, but he rather feels that he ought to be pitied as if it were an infirmity which he could not avoid. He does not believe that his father speaks the truth, and he declares that, though he tries to believe his father’s promise, he cannot. I think a father so basely distrusted would not be in a very great hurry to grant such a son’s requests; indeed, it is very probable that the petitions of the mistrustful son would be such as could not be granted even if his father were willing to do so, since they would gratify his own unbelief and dishonor his parent.

For instance, suppose this child should doubt whether his father would provide him with his daily food. He might then say, “Father, give me enough money to last for the next ten years, for I shall then be a man and able to provide for myself. Give me money to quiet my fears, for I am in great anxiety.” The father replies, “My son, what should I do that for?” And he gets for a reply, “I am very sorry to say it, dear father, but I cannot trust you; I have such a weak faith in you and your love that I am afraid one of these days you will leave me to starve, and therefore I should like to have something sure in the bank.” Which of you fathers would listen to this child’s request? You would feel grieved that thoughts so dishonoring should pass through the mind of your child, and you would not—and could not—give way to them.

Apply the parable to yourselves. Did you offer requests of the same character? You have been unable to trust God to provide your daily bread, and therefore you have been craving for what you call “some provision for the future.” You want a more trusty provider than providence, a better security than God’s promise. You are unable to trust your heavenly Father’s word! In a thousand ways we insult the Lord by imagining “the things which are seen” to be more substantial than His unseen omnipotence.