Discarding the If in Prayer
“If” can not be properly applied to God. All things pertaining to Him or to His Word are positive; there is no place for the “if.” This is well illustrated in the case of the man whose son was possessed of a dumb spirit. In the absence of Jesus, the man had applied to His disciples to cast out the spirit, but they were unable to do so; and when Jesus came, appeal was made to Him. The father stated the case to Jesus, referring to the failure of the disciples to give relief. Then he said, “If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” But Jesus immediately threw back the “if” upon the petitioner himself, and said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” When the man asserted his belief, and threw away his “if” (discarded his doubt), the Lord gave immediate and permanent relief to his afflicted son. It would be impossible to compute the list of prayers that fail of their object because they are offered with an “if,” either expressed or in mental reservation.