What Comes After “Amen”
As I've been moving through this new week, I've found myself constantly coming back to the account of Jesus healing the two blind men.
Matthew 9:29 says:
"Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you.'" (AMP)
I just keep hearing the Lord repeat over and over again: "According to your faith, let it be so."
As I sat with that, I realized that many of us can fall into the trap of believing God isn't hearing our prayers. But if we're honest, there's often one important piece we overlook: the posture of our hearts as we come before Him.
Are we simply going through the motions when we pray? Are we praying half-heartedly? Or are we praying with full trust and confidence in our Heavenly Father?
Stephanie Ike once said that it's often the thoughts that come after we say "Amen" that either open the door for God to move or shut the door by limiting what He desires to pour out in our lives.
That really challenged me.
After you've prayed, are your thoughts reinforcing faith, or are they reinforcing doubt disguised as wisdom? Are you doubling down on your trust in God, or are you entertaining the very unbelief you're asking Him to overcome?
I immediately thought of the father's prayer in Mark 9:24:
"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Doubt is nothing new under the sun. But it is our responsibility to stand firm on what we know to be true about God's character.
We have a part to play.
What good is it if I utter a prayer, but the thoughts that follow uproot the seed before God has the opportunity to water it?
Our thoughts—the foundation of our beliefs—and the words we speak either bring us into agreement with God or with the lies of the enemy. That's why Scripture instructs us:
"...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
This isn't about pretending doubts don't exist. It's about refusing to let them become the loudest voice in our lives.
So as you reflect this week, ask God to reveal where doubt or unbelief may have quietly disguised itself as "being realistic" or "just protecting your heart." Ask Him to expose the places where your thoughts or words have given the enemy a foothold over what God has spoken.
As He reveals them, don't respond with shame—respond with repentance. Then step into the freedom and boldness you've been given to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:16 reminds us:
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Don't just pray.
Pray with confidence.
Believe with confidence.
Wait with confidence.
And when doubt tries to creep back in, don't hide it from God—bring it before Him and ask Him, like the father in Mark 9, to help your unbelief.
Be encouraged, friends.
