The skeptic scoffs at prayer as nothing more than autosuggestion. Those promoting a health, wealth, and prosperity gospel abuse prayer with their presumptuous “name it and claim it” doctrine. The double-minded find prayer futile because they feed their doubts to the point that they lack sufficient faith to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).
Prayer is of great blessing to anyone whose passion is for the will of God and who trusts that God is a loving Father who desires to give liberally to His children (James 1:5). In Psalm 20:6-7, David expresses two essential components of prayers offered in faith that God delights in answering.
First, God delights in answering prayers that have an accurate knowledge and stout confidence in Him. “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v. 6).
Second, God delights in answering prayers that trust in His powerful name (i.e. His holy character and sovereign authority). “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (v. 7).
Because God delights in answering prayer, His children always ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).
