Deeper understanding

I poorly maintain my blog; I have a section called Prayer: completely based upon Mark 11: 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

This verse scared me. I did not dare believe in it in case my prayer went unanswered. Sometimes I want things that I do not need as much as I think I do. I knew my sinful nature would interfere with the sincerity such prayer required. I was afraid to test it out.

Now, I think I actually understand it. In Nehemiah 1: 8-9, Nehemiah references a promise God made. God is always faithful.

When I pray, I remind God of his qualities and ask him to show up. I tell him that I need those things to be true. I pray in light of scripture. What do I know about God? What descriptions from the Bible do I see a need for in the lives of my loved ones? That is how I'm beginning to pray. With a biblical basis, I can believe that God will answer it, because of 2 Timothy 2: 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.