Prayer: God's Ability vs. God's Action

We've had a little plaque hanging on our kitchen wall my mother-in-law gave us. It says, "Faith is not believing that God can, it's believing He will."
I just didn't "get it" for the longest time. There is the intellectual assumption that God is able to do whatever He wants in response to prayer. So in church we break out the anointing oil and follow the patter set out in the Bible in James 5:14-16 when we pray for the sick person. Now I've done this more than a few times and seen people walk away in the same condition and wondered, "What do we need to do differently?!" Isn't God big enough?! Isn't He all powerful?! YES and YES! However it isn't believing that God is that. It's believing that He just did that (whatever "that" would be). A few weeks ago it really hit me. I mean, I think I finally "GOT IT!" Let me illustrate with a couple stories...

I was asked to pray about a job that was opening up for my mom. I told her, "You got the job." Now she had no idea if she was going to get that position or not. She only "hoped" that she might get that position. A few days later (which happened to be June 9th) I got a call from her that she got the position! Not only was God ABLE to supply, but He DID supply that need.

A few years ago some friends were embarking to Paupa New Guinea as missionaries. They sent out a frantic e-mail that they needed their passports to make their flight and leave. I believe they had about one day to have them in hand. I sensed in my spirit that God was delivering the passports even then. I wrote, "Done deal!" I got an e-mail that said the passports had arrived just in time. Another more recent event had them in the Philippines as they were adopting their second son. They all needed to be on the plane and there was limited seating (if my memory serves me correctly). They asked for prayer. I knew that God was going to have seats for all of them. Shortly after that they sent an e-mail that God was indeed good and had made the seats available for all of the family to fly together!
Faith is believing that God will do it, because He can!

I have a friend that knows God has a specific path for him to walk. And to be honest, it's not been an easy one, yet God doesn't call us all to "easy." He calls us to take a long obedient walk in the same direction with Him. My friend will have all of His needs met. I don't have to know how that will happen. I just know that it will.

"How do you know that God will?" How do you know He won't?! If God is everything we read in our Bibles, and I believe He is and more than what we can imagine... and if Jesus said in Matthew 7:10, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

I put a caution here... I don't believe God is asking us to believe that we're going to move into a mansion and drive whatever vehicle around we want and eat in luxury. Far from that. I believe that real needs are being taken care of. That real opportunities are opening up (like with my Church... Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission).

One last thought...
What I realize more every day is that we need people who will believe for us for things we can't begin to imagine God wants to do for us and in us and through us.
Do you find that to be true?!