James 1:5-9
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
According to the word of God, the prayer of faith or asking God for something in faith, in this case wisdom, is to be done with "nothing wavering." Those that waver on whether it is God's will for them to receive whatever it may be they are praying for are plainly told what the response will be, "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."
Later in the same book, James instructs the sick and the elders on how to get one healed in the church:
James 5:14-15
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
I have had people tell me they "tried" James 5:14-15 and it did not work for them. Of course, they admit they had never fully believed that it was God's will to heal all who come in faith, so they never actually "tried" James 5:14-15, because they left out the main part of it, the prayer of faith. All they had was a prayer of doubt. They hoped that by following some formula that healing would occur, and these people failed to receive just like James said earlier, "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:7). They wavered, they doubted, they never had it settled in their hearts that God's will for the saints is healing, always. Then they had the audacity to say James 5:14-15 does not work and cast all blame for their sickness and disease on the Lord? How wicked and vile!
If they took the same faithless and unbelieving approach to any blessing and benefit of the gospel they would equally receive nothing. If they took the same prayer of doubt in regards to salvation, they would never be saved, as the Scripture saith, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). On that verse alone we see how no man will receive any of the rewards of those that diligently seek Him if they are faithless and unbelieving. You must have faith, otherwise you are unpleasant to God, and have only one promise in regard to your prayers, "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:7).
I cannot emphasize this enough. The prayer of faith is not one of some faith and some doubt. That is still a prayer of doubt. The prayer of faith is one of pure, unwavering, undoubting faith in God and in the truths that "he is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:23, and, "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (2 Corinthians 1:20).
We have the glorious provision of healing through the stripes of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Scripture saith, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). He bare both our sins and took stripes for our healing, any form of healing. Jesus "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17). Why take and bare what the Lord Jesus already took and bore for you? Why put up with the works of the devil which the Lord provides full freedom from now in this present life?
Daniel prayed for three full weeks or 21 days, and was answered the first day, but one of the devil's angels, the prince of the kingdom of Persia, hindered the answer from coming for 21 days (Daniel 10:1-13). Daniel never gave up his faith, and kept standing in faith believing that he received what he prayed for. Had he given up on his faith in the twentieth day, he would have failed to receive the answer to prayer. Believers must "hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23). Let us look at some various verses all showing the same thing that believers are to do in prayer, which is to stand in faith and never waver!
Matthew 17:20
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 21:21-22
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mark 9:23
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 11:22-24
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
John 14:14-15
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Notice how in each case you must be believing. You must ask in faith, believing, not doubting. No man can expect a single blessing of the gospel when they pray in doubt. Thankfully those that doubt every blessing of God except salvation from sin never teach doubt and unbelief on forgiveness of sins, but if they just taught faith on all of the rest of the benefits of the Lord (Psalms 103; Mark 16:18-20; etc.), then think how many more people would be healed, prosperous, and joyful in the Holy Ghost.
Jude 3
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Our faith, the one faith (Ephesians 4:5), is to be contended for, not doubted, wavered on, and questioned by people who claim to be Christians. I find more and more that there are truly few people who are truly saved and who will just believe the word of God, regardless of what they may wish to believe or what would be best to excuse their circumstance. These saints cannot be talked out of their faith, they cannot have some smooth talking preacher convince them to cast off their most holy faith for a life of doubt and unbelief. It is my firm desire and prayer that those reading this treatise will be like these saints if they are not already, and that they hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering. Contend for the most holy faith! Never doubt the promises of God! Just stand firm in the faith and believe that you receive whatever you pray for! Praise God His promises are not limited to unbelieving men who wish to align the promises of God with their faithless lives.
In closing remember that no man can stop your holy faith in God, that is the holy faith of God.
Romans 3:3-4
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
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