Is it really that easy? (Being bumrushed by Matthew 21:22)

Now, I might be setting myself up for the kill but I have to wonder about my own theology. Has it come to the point that I have made the word of God of no effect because I have chosen to “learn more than I practice.” As I have wrestle the toils of life, I find myself in a place of need and looking for answer. Then I engage in conversation with the everyday believer- who could care less about who Origen, the Council of Nicaea or whether free will or predestination is the truth-but they have faith that God is all that the bible says he is. In a debate I would probably smash them but where it really counts, I fail in comparison.

The common answer that I get when faced with this problem is simply ask and it shall be given. Matthew 21:22 is plain and simple when you read it. I have read it in context and out of context but it still gets back to the same point-if you ask in faith you will receive. This is just to simple and logical not to see the masterpiece presented here from Christ. He has just told a fig tree to die and it withered away. The disciples begin to ask how did he do this great thing and his response was faith. He then precedes to tell them that you must ask and have faith and it will be  done. I know that all things will not be given unto us just because we have faith and ask but I still can’t understand why this is so hard.

Is it a timing issue or just a plan ole faith issue. Are we expecting God to move the moment we ask or we will not consider it done. Or is it the fact that we do not have faith to believe that he can do it. Let me go a bit further and say, maybe we do not believe he will do it ,so what is the need in asking. Whatever the case I am find this scripture to be a hard one to put into practice. We can call it the massive result?

The massive result comes from the fact that after reading about the sovereignty of God and understanding that he is in total control, I could not see a need to pray. So if I had a financial need, then God sovereignty will activate and what will be will be. So I am left to assume that I just play my position and let the chess game between God and the Satan run its course. So with that being said sometimes the pawn has to suffer for the sake of the King. Then I read where Moses prayed and God changed his mind(Exodus 32:9-14) and Hezekiah prayed and God extended his life 15 years.( Isaiah 38) Now was God sovereignty still in effect, most definitely but there is something to be said about asking in faith and receiving.

It makes no sense to me whatsoever how this works based upon my understand ing of scripture. I am blown away that a sovereign, predestine event can be changed by the simple elements of prayer and faith. Philosophically and logically this makes no sense. If god has declared a event was going to happen how does my prayer effect the outcome of the effect in all honesty. Are the prayers of the righteous that powerful or was the prayer already incorporated into the equation from the jump?