Let Me Share A Secret About Doubting God

Is It Ever OK To Doubt God?

I don't know about you, but when I go to God with my prayers, I have the expectation that He will answer with a yes. How do I know that? Because before I ever pray for something, I spend much time studying His Word so that I can understand His will. I believe that the Word of God, the Bible, is His will. I only pray according to His will.

Even when I pray for wisdom over a decision I must make, I trust God will give me that wisdom to make the right decision. 

James 1:5 AMP - If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.

Let me be bold. I expect God to answer my prayers. There, I said it.

I don't want to come across as some petulant child, making my demands, but faith is an expectation. I expect God to make good on His promises. Why, because His Word says to do this.

I come to God boldly, with confident expectation.

But here's the caveat, when I believe, that is ... have faith, I must trust God for His how and when. Oh for the love of God with His how and when! Look, His ways of doing things are much different than mine, and His timing certainly seems to be less urgent than mine. (smile)!

I mean, doesn't He know I was hoping for right now! Ha.

But seriously, I do trust God because I know He loves me and desires the very best for me. I know and believe this with all of my heart.

That said, after a while, after waiting for some time, I often wonder what's taking so long. Like, I've placed my order, when's the delivery? Doesn't God respect my buyer journey, like amazon?

When I pray for something, I really do believe that I have received at the moment I make the prayer. After that, I wait on God for delivery, placing my complete trust in His how and when.

Mark 11:23-24 AMP - I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

Hebrews 11:1-2 AMP - Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.

But sometimes, we all get tired of waiting. And we get tempted to doubt.

But is doubt ever OK with God? I can't find one place in the Bible where God condones doubt. Rather, He instructs us over 365 times to FEAR NOT. 

Doubt is the point-man for fear. Doubt always leads to failure. Doubt is from the enemy, satan. Doubt is contrary to God's Word. Doubt is faith contaminated. Doubt is faith in satan's lies. Doubt always progresses right into failure, unless you stop it with faith.

Chain of events: doubt > fear > worry > discouragement > depression > failure 

Here's the THANG, 100 percent of the entrepreneurs I work with are trusting God for the provision (revenue and personal income) to provide for their families. This is real. They have needs, like bills.

I get this. We all do!

Several years ago I was asking God why so many believers, good people, aren't getting their prayers answered. 

He pointed me to a scripture that I had read many times, but this time, a lightbulb went off as God revealed His answer to me. The Words "The secret of the Kingdom of God" really caught my attention.

The Secret Of The Kingdom Of God

Let me share a secret with you. 

Mark 4:9-12 NIV - Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’

This is a teaching on the Parable of the Sower is from Mark chapter 4. It explains how doubt chokes off God's supply. 

There are three traps that believers get stuck in, all due to doubt. This is from Mark 4:14-20 NIV:

Trap Number 1

A person hears the good news of the Word. Like when I read John 10:10 where Jesus says He came that we would have abundant life. But as soon as they hear it, they doubt it, and satan robs them.

vs 14-15 - The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Trap Number 2

This person hears the Word and they receive it with Joy. They hear one of the 6000 plus promises in the Word of God and they believe. They are full of joy. But then because of their faith, satan attacks them with some kind of bad circumstance, and they get stuck in doubt.

vs 16-17 - Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Trap Number 3

This person hears the word, believes it, BUT they are obsessed with getting. They to get into doubt. They suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out). They fall into doubt when they are waiting on God. They too, get stuck in doubt. People in doubt always give themselves away, they speak their future. They're hung by their tongue. When I hear them speak, I think, "if you say so".

vs 18-19 - Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Yesterday morning while on my prayer walk, God was pouring this into my heart to write for you, I came across a little hummingbird. Its feet were stuck to the bottom of an insect trap that had blown onto the sidewalk. It was flapping its wings trying to get away, but it was stuck. Trapped. I wasn't sure what to do, I was afraid I might rip off its legs trying to free it. 

My heart broke for this stuck little bird. I asked God, what should I do? His answer was crystal clear. He said I sent you FREE IT, it's stuck.

It did, and it flew away. (with its legs intact)

This Will Free You

Folks, this next scripture will free you if you are stuck. And, it will keep you free from getting stuck. Don't fall for satan's lies. Don't tolerate doubt in your life. Doubt is faith in satan's lies. Don't do it. You'll get stuck.

Hear the Word. Accept it as fact. Just believe! Then, wait for it ....... a little longer ....... you'll get the prize. God rewards faith.

vs 20 - Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

God isn't moved into action by your need. If that was so there would be any lack in this world. Remember, by faith you are saved. Faith is simply believing and receiving God's promise. 

Chain of events: faith > expectation > peace > desire > perseverance > success 

How do you grow your faith? Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. There is a measure of faith already inside you. Remember the mustard seed? Revelation: You gotta plant it for it to grow.

Let me leave you with this simple instruction from Jesus.

Mark 5:36 NIV - Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

 Hear the Word. Accept it. Receive it. Doubt — BAD!

-Gerald