I’ve never met Dolf, but we chat often. He’s from the real Johannesburg. He calls a spade a spade. He found God with a bang, and because of his background, he’s not afraid to tackle anyone about their faith in God. Even pastors and ministers and other people of God should just keep going if they don’t preach the Word purely.

I learn a lot from him. About faith and about prayer and to pray and to believe. One day he sent me this funny story.

I do freelance kitchen and built-in cupboard repairs for a factory on the West Rand. I drive a Renault TS 1300. My friends call the car Tubby Sport because of my potbelly.

We worked late one evening and when I got outside, Tubby Sport was gone. Stolen!

I had to borrow my boss’s panel van to get home, and my wife and I prayed and claimed the return of Tubby Sport.

Everybody, even my family, said there wasn’t a chance of this happening. The factory was in a very unsafe area where cars are often stolen and quickly cut up in the chop shop.

On my way to the factory, I spotted Tubby Sport driving by with four guys smoking weed inside. I immediately started chasing them, making the old Flying Squad movies look like a joke.

They stopped a few times to drop some of the passengers and I tried my best to hit the smokers with the panel van.

Over sidewalks and driveways.

Eventually, when only the driver was left, he drove into a cul de sac, jumped out and ran away. Fortunately, my 9 mm-Parabellum was at the ammunition shop, waiting for my license to be renewed.

The Lord answered our prayers and I had to apologize for throwing my toys out of the cot.

Other people, even the family, said it was impossible, but Dolf and his wife prayed believingly that it would happen, even if the area was not known for stolen vehicles being recovered. Certainly, his and his wife’s prayers held no doubts.

And the following does not describe them at all: ^7-8People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Get rid of doubt and believe in God. Be stable and steady in everything you do. In your faith and in your prayers. Keep believing, even though things seem on the wrong side of the track. Then the guarantee is in place: God will give and believers will receive.

Scripture
James 1:1-8

Reflection
Do you pray believingly?
Or do you make other plans?
Do you believe when you pray?

Prayer
Father, I have prayed many, many times and made my own plans. Help me to live differently and to keep believing that You still hear our prayers and attend to them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.