Casting "If" to the Wind

“If” God is willing,

“If” God is able;

“If” is the word

By which prayer is disabled.

“If” – such a small word
Looms great in our minds,
Obscures all God’s promises
And makes faith go blind.

"If” feeds on ignorance
Of not knowing God;
Not knowing His willingness,
So deep and so broad.

"If” is a small word
That grows to be king.
This king then enthrones
“Uncertain” as queen.

“Uncertain" the Queen,
Nurtures twins “Fear” and “Dread”;
“Worry” feeds them their breakfast,
“Anxious” tucks them in bed.

“King If” then dispatches
His henchman named “Doubt”
To hunt down “True Faith”
And force “Confidence” out.

But sincere prayer by faith
Is what God longs to hear,
Anxious thoughts need be banished,
For Christ to draw near.

So cast “If” and “Uncertain”
Out into the wind,
Uproot and dethrone “Doubt’,
On Christ now depend.

For then and then only
Can faith settle down,
And hope with great confidence
Truly abound.

You’ll find God so willing
And certainly able,
His goodness so broad
As you feast at His table.

When faith conquers “If”,
And trust drives away doubt,
When God’s glory and goodness
Are what you’re about.

A glimpse of Your Savior,
You’ll view from your knees,
And find your kind Father
Hears all His child’s pleas.

SKK

R.A. Torrey said, "One of the most frequent usages of 1 John 5:14-15, which was so manifestly given to bring confidence, is to introduce an element of uncertainty into our prayers. Often, when a person is confident in prayer, some cautious brother will come and say: 'Now don't be too confident. If it is God's will, He will do it. You should add, "If it be Thy will."' Doubtless, there are times when we do not know the will of God. And submission to the excellent will of God should be the basis for all prayer. But when we know God's will, there need be no 'ifs'. This passage was not put into the Bible so that we could introduce 'ifs' into our prayers, but so that we could throw our 'ifs' to the wind and have confidence and know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him."

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 Jonh 5:14-15